SPECIAL REPORT


WORDS MAT THEW PARSONS


MENTAL HEALTH IN FOCUS


Taking a one-day Mental Health First Aid course sheds light on a subject that still carries a stigma, and is wholly relevant for the travel industry


WE WERE WARNED the course was going to be tough and emotionally draining. Of the eight participants, seven had travel backgrounds and the balance was three- quarters male. There was something of a stiff upper lip mentality in the room, but at the start of the day we were each asked to share a personal issue that had caused, or was causing, anxiety. Frankly, it’s not something I’m used


to. Nor was I initially comfortable listening to strangers open up about their anxieties, despite being in the “safe space” of the training room at Swiss Cottage School, London. But that was the point of the exercise – to demonstrate that everyone has a certain level of mental health.


WHAT IS MENTAL HEALTH? At a basic level, mental health describes a person’s psychological and emotional


Matthew Holman, Simpila 30 MARCH/APRIL 2019


wellbeing. Everyone, argued our instructor Matthew Holman, of consul- tancy Simpila Healthy Solutions, has mental health, and it fluctuates. But we don’t all have mental illness. Yet in the workplace, mental health is a vague term and carries a stigma. Holman, who is a qualified instructor for delivering Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA) courses and a listening volunteer for the Samaritans, added that even the term mental health is still regarded as something negative. “When you’re at school, the word ‘mental’ has a negative meaning, and was only used to describe those who were different, or had a different view,” he said. Holman, as well as running his own consultancy, has also recently created partnerships with TMCs Amber Road and Capita Travel and Events, and is currently tailoring the training around the business travel sector. He cited that travel has over 110 points of anxiety for travellers, and it takes between 8 to 10 days to recover from jetlag after a New York flight. “Does the travel policy allow travellers to recover?” he asked. Meanwhile, he noted that after an employee returns from a trip, it’s rare for a manager to ask how they are feeling. “They tend to ask how productive it was for the business, how many leads were generated.” Travel can be a lonely affair, too, with the toll


of continual flying and airport visits having the potential to cause anxiety. In more general terms, most of us live through anniversaries of “life incidents” – we certainly don’t publicise them, but they could be linked to bereavement, loss of a relationship, job or other trau- matic events. “Mental health is part of everything we are,” Holman explained, “and you don’t choose to have issues.”


WHAT IS A MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID CHAMPION?


Mental Health First Aid England is a non-profit organisation that aims to “normalise society’s attitudes and behaviours around mental health”. Its mission is to train 1-in-10 of the population in England in Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) skills. The Mental Health First Aid Champion course is designed to teach people awareness and skills. They will have an understanding of common mental health issues; knowledge and confidence to advocate for mental health awareness; ability to spot signs of mental ill health; and skills to support positive wellbeing. n mhfaengland.org/individuals/ adult/1-day/


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