# Mental health first aid certification's impact on Filipino nurses' ability to increase personal help-seeking behaviors, self-awareness of health changes, and improved self-connection

## TL;DR

This study shows that Mental Health First Aid certification helps Filipino nurses improve their help-seeking behaviors, self-awareness, and self-connection.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of MHFA certification in addressing mental health barriers among Filipino nurses.

## Key findings

- Filipino nurses showed a significant increase in personal help-seeking behaviors after MHFA certification.
- Self-awareness of health changes improved among participants post-certification.
- Self-connection and self-care behaviors were enhanced following MHFA training.

## Abstract

Post COVID-19, almost 50% of nurses reported severe depression, and over 30% moderate to severe anxiety. Nurses from minority racial and ethnic backgrounds, including Filipino nurses, accounted for more than 54% of COVID-related deaths, despite comprising only 24.1% of the nursing workforce. Filipino nurses, making up only 1% of the U.S. population, comprise 4.5 % of the nursing workforce and face significant barriers to seeking mental health services, including stigma, a sense of shame, and adherence to cultural values that view mental illness as unacceptable.

To assess the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) certification among Filipino nurses to increase behaviors of help-seeking, self-care, and self-awareness of health changes.

A quantitative, quasi-experimental pre- and post-survey design was employed.

There was a significant increase in personal help-seeking behaviors, self-awareness of health changes, and self-connection among Filipino nurses (n = 52) post MHFA certification.

MHFA certification for Filipino nurses successfully increased the nurses' ability to seek help, improved awareness of personal health, and improved self-care behaviors.