Next week, 11th-17th May, is Mental Health Awareness week. This year’s theme is ‘Action’ - for yourself, for someone else, for all of us. The Mental Health Foundation chose this year’s theme because while awareness is vital, the way we drive real change is through action, together.
When people don’t know what to say, they say nothing. Training gives people the confidence to take action. It encourages early intervention, increases confidence in dealing with mental illness and reduces stigma. It is a simple action you can take to meet all three of Mental Health Awareness Week’s aims:
- For yourself – Stress, burnout and pressure aren’t just work problems – they're part of everyday life. Give yourself the tools to look after both your own well-being and that of those around you. From free, short modules in Understanding the Importance of Self Care, Stress Management and Recognising Mental Ill-Health, to Empathetic Communication and Men’s Mental Health, these short courses provide additional skills and ideas to maintain your own wellbeing.
- For someone else – in addition to the short free modules above, eLearning courses in Mental Health Awareness, Managing Anxiety, Mental Health Manager and Creating a Supportive Workplace help you learn how you can use your skills and knowledge to raise awareness, reduce stigma and support others.
- For all of us – Face-to-face training and qualifications, including our Mental Health Advocate and Mental Health First Aid courses, are explicitly designed to build day-to-day action-led capability when it comes to spotting early signs, being confident to start supportive conversations and offering clear signposting. This builds a network of trained individuals who help to create resilient and open communities and a mentally healthy environment for all.
First aid that goes beyond the physical
St John Ambulance champions a holistic view of first aid, where support for both physical and mental health works together – before, during and after an incident. Our workplace mental health first aid courses empower individuals to become visible, confident, and proactive champions for mental health at work and beyond. Learning how to support the whole person – because the duty of care in the workplace goes beyond just the physical.
This week, we’re sharing a free, interactive module that helps you to understand the mix of mental health training courses we offer and how these can help you to take action in a meaningful way.
This module will help you to:
- Learn the basics of workplace mental health
- Explore each course’s unique purpose
- Discover how to match training options to specific roles and needs
- Understand the value of ongoing education
- Be equipped to take the next steps in fostering a culture of mental health support in your organisation
Why not take action this Mental Health Awareness Week and explore the training options available, or even go one step further by taking some modules or booking training? If you’re not the person responsible for booking mental health training, you could share the module with the person who is and take action by advocating for mental health and wellbeing support across your organisation.
Why does mental health matter in the workplace?
One in three (34%) adults reported experiencing high or extreme levels of pressure or stress ‘always’ or ‘often’ last year. Meanwhile, nine in 10 (91%) experienced high pressure or stress at some point over the last year. It’s clear these pressures translate directly into the workplace. Poor mental health is one of the biggest drivers of workplace absence in the UK. Stress, depression or anxiety accounted for the majority of days lost due to work-related ill health in 2024/25 at 22.1 million.
People aren’t suddenly less resilient. They’re responding normally to sustained pressure and organisations need to respond. But awareness alone isn’t enough. Real change happens when people know what to do next.
- Spot the signs
- Start the conversation
- Signpost with confidence
Mental health training turns awareness into action.
Explore our training options with our handy interactive module and help your organisation take a step in the right direction this Mental Health Awareness week.
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