EVERY workplace large enough has an in-house first aider trained to treat cuts, bumps and maybe more serious injuries.
But what if the problem is mental rather than physical?
This is why Inverness College UHI is encouraging all its staff to be aware of mental health first aid.
Leading the drive is former mental health nurse turned lecturer Chris Lemon, who is taking the lessons taught on the college’s access to nursing course and applying them to the college’s staff and students themselves.
Chris (37), who moved into education last year after a decade long nursing career in Easter Ross and Nairn, completed the Scottish Mental Health First Aid trainers course with the support of the college.
After completing it, the Lochardil resident incorporated the knowledge he gained into the access to nursing course under the title "understanding mental health".
With the first students due to graduate at the end of this academic year, the college is looking at other ways the knowledge can be used to benefit staff and students.
As a result, plans are under way for Chris to share his mental health first aid experience with all staff.
"We introduced it into the nursing course so people aren’t just coming away with theoretical knowledge, but can see a practical application as well," Chris explained.
"It’s not just knowing about this from words and pictures and films, but being able to use it practically.
"There are so many people who are trained in physical first aid and know what to do in an emergency whereas many people get very anxious if people come to them crying or saying they feel suicidal."
Which is why there is an important first step to take before anything practical can be done to solve the problem.
"The main thing about mental health first aid is addressing the stigma," Chris said.
"Every time we hear mental health problems mentioned it’s treated as something to be scared of."
Which is why the first step towards tackling any issue is to say it is all right to acknowledge that there is a difficulty in the first place. "It also gives people information about some of the more common mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, schizophrenia and addiction," Chris explained.
"Mental health first aid started in Australia, but one of the things we have added is the part about addiction and alcohol abuse just because it is so much of a problem here."
While he hesitates to say mental health issues are perhaps more prevalent than they once were, Chris believes that as a society we are much more aware of them. However, he warns that what happens in society does have an impact. With a downturn in the economy and public spending cuts promised, many more people are likely to be fearing for their future while unemployment itself can have very detrimental effects on people’s mental health and feelings of self worth.
Various methods are used to encourage people to open up and talk about their feelings, including role play, and though Chris is unable to make comparison with other areas, he agrees that there is a barrier in Highland culture to talking about your worries and feelings and this can help build up mental health problems.
"It’s about being open," Chris said.
"If not you are helping to perpetuate that culture of not talking about yourself and making things really hard for yourself and for others."
There are good points to living in the area, however, such as the support provided by the Highland Users Group.
Chris acknowledges that perhaps he is luckier than other people when it comes to being at ease with mental illness. His father was also a psychiatric nurse — Chris is a third generation male nurse — and would visit the wards his father worked on.
"Being afraid of mental illness is not something that affected me. It was part of my upbringing," he explained.
And though his job description may have changed from nurse to lecturer, he is maintaining the family tradition.
"I’m doing very much the same stuff, just from a different angle," he said.
"I’m now preparing nurses to help support people who are not well."
However, mental health is not just something Chris teaches.
"My other role here is as student advisor so I also get to support students. I still get that direct contact."
Mental health first aid is about spotting issues before they develop into full scale problems, which echoes Chris’s nursing career where his speciality was early intervention with children suffering mental health problems, most of them aged between five and 17.
However, what he teaches in college is not intended to stay there.
"It’s not just for the workplace," he insisted. "If you are aware of these things, it is something you can take into your private life.
"A lot of times when we are doing the training, students will come up to me and talk about significant issues they have with relatives."
One important lesson from mental health first aid is to have a variety of interests. Have a bad day at work and if there is nothing else to distract you, whether family or hobby, there is a danger the mind will dwell on what went wrong and build up anxiety.
Chris naturally practises what he preaches. As well as being a father of a young daughter, he also has the Highlands’ burgeoning music scene to keep him occupied as a contributor to the Inverness Gigs website.
"The whole north music scene is now just waiting for a band to break," he said.
"It’s actually quite frustrating. They get so far, but then nothing.
"It’s interesting where the music scene is going and it’s taken me to some interesting places."
That includes the round of Highland festivals, including Belladrum just a couple of weeks ago.
"I went to Belladrum and spent most of my time at the Seedlings tent — watching all the bands I usually get to see for free," he laughed.
With so many good bands and festivals in the Highlands — though some more venues and bigger audiences would be welcome — there is plenty to keep him occupied outside his working hours.
However, he has no complaints.
"You have that creative side, good social opportunities," he explained.
"All these things are good for long term mental health."
