TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Effects of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid training programme for non-suicidal self-injury on stigmatising attitudes, confidence in ability to assist, and intended and actual assisting actions: an uncontrolled trial with precourse and postcourse measurement and 6-month follow-up
JO  - BMJ open
A1  - Armstrong, Gregory
A1  - Sutherland, Georgina
A1  - Pross, Eliza
A1  - Mackinnon, Andrew
A1  - Reavley, Nicola
A1  - Jorm, Anthony
SP  - e066043
EP  - e066043
VL  - 13
IS  - 1
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a complex issue affecting Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Australia. We evaluated the effects of an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid (AMHFA) training course on assisting an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person engaging in NSSI, including the effects on stigmatising attitudes, confidence in ability to assist, and intended and actual assisting actions. <br><br>DESIGN: Uncontrolled trial with precourse and postcourse measurement (n=49) and 6-month follow-up (n=17). SETTING: Participants attended courses that were run in Queensland and Victorian communities and through one national organisation. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 49 adults who worked directly with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples. INTERVENTION: The 5-hour 'Talking About Non-Suicidal Self-Injury' course was delivered by accredited AMHFA instructors and teaches people how to support an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person who is engaging in NSSI. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: The outcome measures were stigmatising attitudes, confidence in ability to assist, and intended and actual actions to assist a person engaging in NSSI. <br><br>RESULTS: Improvements were observed in stigmatising attitudes, with significant changes from precourse in both the 'weak-not-sick' (postcourse p<0.0623; follow-up p=0.0058) and 'dangerous/unpredictable' (postcourse p<0.0001; follow-up p=0.0036) subscales. Participants' confidence in ability to assist increased significantly both postcourse (p<0.0001) and at follow-up (p<0.0001). Despite a high level of endorsement for the nine recommended assisting actions at precourse, significant improvements (p<0.05) were observed in endorsement for six and four of the assisting actions postcourse and at follow-up, respectively. Course content was rated as being somewhat (3.4%), mostly (13.8%) or very (82.7%) culturally appropriate by participants who identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: The results of this uncontrolled trial were encouraging, suggesting that the Talking About Non-Suicidal Self-Injury course was able to improve participants' attitudes, confidence and intended assisting actions.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2044-6055
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-066043
ID  - ref1
ER  -