Mental Health First Aid was developed in Australia and is based on the concept of general first aid training. Following a successful pilot it is being rolled out as Scotland's Mental Health First Aid by NHS Health Scotland.

The course will teach participants to:

• give initial help to someone experiencing a mental health problem
• deal with a crisis situation or the first signs of someone developing mental ill health
• guide people towards appropriate professional help. 

Scotland's Mental Health First Aid course has proved successful with members of the public and different professional groups, including teachers, health workers, front line public sector workers and voluntary sector workers.

It aims to help participants to:

• preserve life where a person may be a danger to themselves or others
• provide help to prevent a mental health problem developing into a more serious state
• promote recovery of good mental health
• provide comfort to a person suffering a mental illness. 

The course covers a number of topics including:

• what is meant by mental health/mental ill health
• the signs and symptoms of common mental health problems including depression, anxiety disorders and psychosis
• the range of effective interventions and treatments
• how to access professional help and support.