The Mental Health First Aiders (MHFA) of the Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Programme (MLW) have received training in providing health and psychosocial support in the workplace.
The workshop, organised by MLW’s Health and Safety department, took place at Moneymen Training and Leadership Centre in Blantyre, from Tuesday, 12th March 2024 to Saturday, 16th March 2024. Stephen Amos, MLW’s Occupational Health Nurse, stated, “The goal is to create an environment at MLW where staff feel free to talk about mental health and, where needed, seek mental health and psychosocial support from the trained MHFAiders.”
Describing the training as successful, Amos, the MLW Occupational Health Nurse, mentioned that with the delivered training tailored to the needs of the work setting, there will be an improved delivery of mental health and psychosocial support to peers experiencing different mental health challenges.
Through the training, six Mental Health First Aiders have been equipped with knowledge and skills in offering psychosocial help at the workplace.
Rosaline Ng’oma, a Mental Health First Aid trainee who works as a research nurse at MLW, stated that the gained knowledge and acquired skills will help her provide timely mental health interventions to fellow employees in need. “This training will help me to swiftly identify psychological issues among colleagues, which will be key in lessening mental illness and thus lifting productivity,” said Ng’oma.
One of the facilitators of the training from St. John of God Services, Saulos Gondwe, commended MLW for organising such training. Gondwe stated that covering topics such as depression, anxiety, and alcohol use problems, the training is essential for improving mental health literacy and ultimately employee wellbeing.
The MHFAiders training is part of MLW’s Employee Assistance Programme focused on assisting staff in effectively managing personal and job stress that may hamper job performance and overall individual function, aiming to retain valued staff, increase job effectiveness, and encourage a positive work climate at MLW.
