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Should MHFA Be Mandatory at Work? | Sarah McIntosh Shares Her View
Should Mental Health First Aid be mandatory in every workplace?
In this episode of Wellbeing Talk, I sat down with with Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive of @MentalHealthFirstAidEngland (MHFA) England, about the future of workplace wellbeing, prevention, and the growing impact of MHFA across the UK.
Since 2007, MHFA England has trained more than 1.1 million people across 20,000 + organisations to build inclusive, mentally healthy cultures.
Yet only 29% of employers currently train managers to support mental health, contributing to a £212 billion annual loss in productivity and economic inactivity.
Sarah shares how MHFA England’s Mandate the Change campaign, new Workplace MHFA Standards, and the first-ever MHFAider Day aim to close this gap - equipping people with the skills, confidence, and structure to offer help before crisis hits.
We discuss:
Why MHFA England believes Mental Health First Aid should be as standard as physical first aid
The rise of prevention-focused workplace wellbeing
The role of employers in creating mentally healthy, productive teams
Insights from The MHFAider Effect report and the voices behind the movement
Sarah McIntosh’s personal journey as a leader driving culture change
Watch, learn, and join the conversation about how we can make mental health support the norm, not a privilege.
=============================
⏱️ Chapter Markers:
0:00 Intro
03:18 Sarah McIntosh on what first inspired her to work in mental health
07:57 How Sarah McIntosh’s personal wellbeing journey shapes her leadership at MHFA England
09:53 Biggest misconceptions about Mental Health First Aid explained
14:54 How the CEO of MHFA England practices self-care and balance
16:45 Why the 2019 attempt to include mental health in first-aid law failed – and what’s different now
20:41 Inside MHFA England’s decision to create national Workplace MHFA Standards
23:31 Which MHFA Standards will make the biggest difference for employers?
25:41 Advice for organisations that support MHFA but haven’t embedded it yet
29:24 Beyond cost: The real barriers employers face to implementing MHFA
32:08 The Keep Britain Working Review – why prevention is key to keeping people in work
35:10 How MHFA fits into a preventative approach to workplace wellbeing
40:12 What MHFAider Day means for Sarah McIntosh and the wider MHFA community
42:50 Key findings and trends from The MHFAider Effect report
43:29 Powerful MHFAider stories that show the impact of mental health first aid
49:17 Why MHFAiders’ voices matter in shaping national mental health policy
52:50 Sarah McIntosh’s hopes for the future of MHFAider Day and the movement
54:17 What gives Sarah McIntosh hope about the future of workplace mental health
55:00 One action every employer can take to improve mental health at work
56:52 Outro
=============================
🔔 If you’re interested in how to have more compassionate and constructive conversations about mental health - both in and outside of the workplace, don’t forget to subscribe to the @letsgowellbeing YouTube channel.
View all episodes
By Let’s Go WellbeingShould Mental Health First Aid be mandatory in every workplace?
In this episode of Wellbeing Talk, I sat down with with Sarah McIntosh, Chief Executive of @MentalHealthFirstAidEngland (MHFA) England, about the future of workplace wellbeing, prevention, and the growing impact of MHFA across the UK.
Since 2007, MHFA England has trained more than 1.1 million people across 20,000 + organisations to build inclusive, mentally healthy cultures.
Yet only 29% of employers currently train managers to support mental health, contributing to a £212 billion annual loss in productivity and economic inactivity.
Sarah shares how MHFA England’s Mandate the Change campaign, new Workplace MHFA Standards, and the first-ever MHFAider Day aim to close this gap - equipping people with the skills, confidence, and structure to offer help before crisis hits.
We discuss:
Why MHFA England believes Mental Health First Aid should be as standard as physical first aid
The rise of prevention-focused workplace wellbeing
The role of employers in creating mentally healthy, productive teams
Insights from The MHFAider Effect report and the voices behind the movement
Sarah McIntosh’s personal journey as a leader driving culture change
Watch, learn, and join the conversation about how we can make mental health support the norm, not a privilege.
=============================
⏱️ Chapter Markers:
0:00 Intro
03:18 Sarah McIntosh on what first inspired her to work in mental health
07:57 How Sarah McIntosh’s personal wellbeing journey shapes her leadership at MHFA England
09:53 Biggest misconceptions about Mental Health First Aid explained
14:54 How the CEO of MHFA England practices self-care and balance
16:45 Why the 2019 attempt to include mental health in first-aid law failed – and what’s different now
20:41 Inside MHFA England’s decision to create national Workplace MHFA Standards
23:31 Which MHFA Standards will make the biggest difference for employers?
25:41 Advice for organisations that support MHFA but haven’t embedded it yet
29:24 Beyond cost: The real barriers employers face to implementing MHFA
32:08 The Keep Britain Working Review – why prevention is key to keeping people in work
35:10 How MHFA fits into a preventative approach to workplace wellbeing
40:12 What MHFAider Day means for Sarah McIntosh and the wider MHFA community
42:50 Key findings and trends from The MHFAider Effect report
43:29 Powerful MHFAider stories that show the impact of mental health first aid
49:17 Why MHFAiders’ voices matter in shaping national mental health policy
52:50 Sarah McIntosh’s hopes for the future of MHFAider Day and the movement
54:17 What gives Sarah McIntosh hope about the future of workplace mental health
55:00 One action every employer can take to improve mental health at work
56:52 Outro
=============================
🔔 If you’re interested in how to have more compassionate and constructive conversations about mental health - both in and outside of the workplace, don’t forget to subscribe to the @letsgowellbeing YouTube channel.