Like physical first aid — for a mental health moment
Mental health first aid (MHFA) is the skill of giving initial support to someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, and helping them get the right help — the mental equivalent of physical first aid. Around one in five New Zealand adults experience a mental health challenge in any year, so it's likely to involve someone at your workplace. MHFA is not diagnosis or treatment — it's recognising the signs, having a supportive conversation, and connecting the person to professional help. It complements, rather than replaces, your duty to manage psychosocial risks.
Just as physical first aiders give initial help until professional care arrives, a mental health first aider can recognise when someone is struggling, have an open, supportive conversation, and encourage them toward professional and other support. In New Zealand, Mental Health First Aid Aotearoa is an evidence-based training programme run under licence by Te Pou; courses teach people to support an adult experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis. It teaches initial support only — not how to diagnose or treat, which is for qualified professionals.
| Step | What it means |
|---|---|
| A — Approach | Approach the person, assess for any crisis, and assist — choose a private, unhurried moment. |
| L — Listen | Listen openly and without judgement, so the person feels heard. |
| G — Give | Give support and information — reassurance, and practical, accurate information. |
| E — Encourage | Encourage the person to seek appropriate professional help. |
| E — Encourage | Encourage other supports — whanau, friends, peer support and self-help. |
Under the HSWA, health includes mental health, and you must manage psychosocial risks at their source — workload, bullying, fatigue and the like. Mental health first aid doesn't replace that prevention work; it adds a response capability so people are supported early and connected to help. Practical steps: train willing volunteers across the organisation, make sure everyone knows how to reach support such as an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), and build a culture where people feel safe to speak up. Read alongside bullying & harassment, return to work and health & safety training.
If you or someone you know is struggling, you can free call or text 1737 any time to talk with a trained counsellor. In an emergency, call 111.
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It is the skill of giving initial support to someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis, and helping them get the right help — the mental equivalent of physical first aid. It is not diagnosis or treatment, which is for qualified professionals.
ALGEE is the five-step mental health first aid approach: Approach and assess, Listen without judgement, Give support and information, Encourage professional help, and Encourage other supports such as whanau, friends and peer support.
No, it is not a specific legal requirement. But under the HSWA you must manage psychosocial risks, and mental health first aid is a good-practice way to add a support and response capability alongside that prevention work.
No. You still have to manage the causes of harm — workload, bullying, fatigue and so on — at their source. Mental health first aid is the response layer that supports people early and connects them to help.
In New Zealand you can free call or text 1737 at any time to talk with a trained counsellor, contact your GP or Employee Assistance Programme, and in an emergency call 111.
