News and Media

A groundbreaking national report on secondary trauma in educators has prompted Australian health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid to call for immediate investment in mental health first aid training across the education sector, including every teacher-in-training.

Monday 9 June: Mental Health First Aid® International will showcase 25 years of global innovation and reach at the International Association for Suicide Prevention’s (IASP) 33rd World Congress this week.   The world’s leading suicide prevention experts with gather...

This year’s National Reconciliation Week theme ‘Bridging Now to Next’ invites us to reflect not only on where we’ve been, but where we go next – and how we ensure that path is shaped by truth, respect, and the leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

Mental Health First Aid International is in Perth for the National Suicide Prevention Conference (NSPC) this week, with a focus on building circles of safety and support around those who may be experiencing or vulnerable to mental health problems or crises. ...

24 April 2025: As the nation marks Anzac Day, Mental Health First Aid is calling on veterans, serving defence personnel, their colleagues, and their families to access free training through its Mental Health Protect program. With the findings of the Royal...

17 April 2025: Australian health promotion charity, Mental Health First Aid is calling on political parties and candidates to commit to providing free community training to 1 million Australians by 2030. As Australia grapples with deepening mental health problems,...

20/03/2025: As the world grapples with rising mental health challenges, an Australian grassroots initiative has transformed into a global movement, equipping 1.5 million Australians with life-saving skills, while training millions more across the globe. In 2025,...

As we wind down for the year, we wanted to take a moment to pause, reflect on and celebrate the strides we've made with our community in 2024. In Australia, we’ve just reached a milestone of 1.5 million people trained in Mental Health First Aid® since course...

Mental Health First Aid International (MHFAI) commends the Federal Government’s response to the final report of the Royal Commission into Defence and Veteran Suicide, calling it a landmark moment toward meaningful action.  The Government’s commitment to...

Mental Health First Aid International welcomes the Australian Government's response to its COVID-19 Response Inquiry Report, including an urgent commitment to tackle the pandemic’s continuing impact on youth mental health.  The first recommendation published in the...

Veterans and their families have access to free mental health literacy and suicide prevention training, thanks to an Australian Government-funded initiative launched today by leading health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid Australia.  Announcing the...

A landmark initiative aimed at equipping Australia’s future health workforce with the skills to recognise, understand and respond to mental distress was launched this week, backed by $6.7 million in funding from the Australian Government. Assistant Minister for...

Last week the National Mental Health Commission published the National Mental Health Report Card 2023 monitoring the performance of Australia’s mental health systems. Angus Clelland, CEO of leading Australian mental health promotion charity Mental Health First Aid...

This year’s National Reconciliation Week (27 May to 3 June) theme, “Now more than ever”, is a reminder to us all that, no matter what, we must persevere in our fight for the justice and rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples for the benefit of all...

Mental Health First Aid International welcomes the Albanese Government’s 2024–25 Federal Budget which will invest $361 million over the next four years to expand the range of free mental health services for Australians.   Angus Clelland, CEO of Mental Health First...

Congratulations to Dr Claire Kelly and Dr Laura Hart who have received Suicide Prevention Australia’s 2024 National LiFE Award for Outstanding Contribution. This award recognises their significant contribution to the development of the Teen Mental Health First...

The impacts of a mental health first aid conversation are deeply personal and challenging to measure quantitatively, making accurate evaluation complex, according to Mental Health First Aid® Australia’s Director of International Program, Dr Claire Kelly. The...

As Australia prepares to vote in the Voice to Parliament referendum on 14 October, Mental Health First Aid® Australia recognises that this may be a difficult time for many Australians. In the leadup to the Voice referendum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...

As we continue to face an ongoing global mental health crisis, the mental health sector must respond with a multi-faceted, collaborative approach that embraces both clinical and informal community supports. Mental Health First Aid training serves as a bridge to...

Mental Health First Aid® Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of leading mental health advocate Angus (Gus) Clelland as its incoming CEO.   The Chair of Mental Health First Aid Australia Krystian Seibert expressed his enthusiasm for Mr Clelland taking...

Mental Health First Aid Australia is committed to improving the mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, and to equipping individuals and communities with the skills to provide culturally informed care to those...

Mental Health First Aid Australia recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Australians. Our formal reconciliation journey began in 2022, as we started to change our ways of working and move towards building a stronger and more unified...

Researchers at the University of Melbourne are proposing the introduction of a new field of research and intervention on mental health literacy for supporting children. Since Mental Health First Aid Australia®’s co-founder Tony Jorm first coined the term back in...

A survey of the Australia’s commercial fishing industry has revealed it is in the midst of a mental health crisis, with fishers experiencing mental health problems at double the rate of the average population. The survey, conducted by Deakin University and the...

The CEO of Mental Health First Aid Australia®, Shannon Anderson, has informed the Board of her intention to step down from the role. Since taking on the role in 2019, Shannon has led our organisation through a period of major transformation and growth. Much of this...

A course that teaches participants how to have conversations about non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has been found to be safe, acceptable and effective. In a recently published paper, researchers from Mental Health First Aid® Australia and the University of...

Mental Health First Aid Australia recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first Australians. Our formal organisational commencement of a journey towards reconciliation in 2022 signifies the important first step of accountability to all First...

Looking back at 21 years of MHFA This month, we celebrate our 21st anniversary; 21 years since the very first MHFA training course was delivered. This significant milestone provides an opportunity for all of us at MHFA to pause, and reflect on the growth and impact...