Navigating mental health conversations: Student pharmacists complete Mental Health First Aid Training and apply it...

Background: Community pharmacies offer a unique and accessible opportunity to close the existing mental health care gap. Many pharmacists and student pharmacists, however, lack the confidence to effectively engage in conversations regarding mental health. The objective of this study was to assess student pharmacist confidence and knowledge in navigating mental health conversations after Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training alone versus MHFA training paired with experiential learning opportunities through community pharmacy-based depression screening events. Methods: Student pharmacists in their second through fourth years were recruited to participate in this study. All participants completed a pre-survey to assess baseline knowledge and confidence, underwent MHFA training, and were given the option to participate in community-based depression screenings. A post-survey was then given to assess changes in knowledge and confidence. Survey responses were compared between students who attended depression screening sessions and those who did not. Results: Twenty students completed the study. Of these 20 students, 13 participated in the depression screenings. Students who completed both MHFA training and depression screening events showed greater improvement in mental health knowledge (P=0.03) and confidence (P=0.03) compared to those who completed MHFA training alone. Conclusion: When paired with experiential learning opportunities, MHFA training significantly improves student pharmacists' knowledge and confidence in navigating mental health conversations.