PA Student Raises Awareness, Reduces Stigma in His Community

Mental illness and substance use disorder affect 1 in 5 U.S. adults. Less than half of these individuals receive treatment. In Vinton/Roanoke County, Virginia, there are 215 mental health clinicians per 100,000 residents, compared to surrounding metropolitan areas where the ratio is estimated at 816 to 100,000.

With these unmet mental health needs, Hwal Lee, a Jefferson College of Health Sciences PA student, partnered with Blue Ridge Behavioral Healthcare to offer Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training in his community.

MHFA is an 8-hour course that teaches individuals how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illness and substance use disorders. By participating in MHFA training, individuals can develop the skills needed to provide initial help to someone who is experiencing a mental health crisis, like how an individual might render CPR before professional help arrives.

His project sought to not only raise awareness but also to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness. Fifty-two participants, including fellow PA students, healthcare providers, and community members, received this no cost MHFA training. The trainings were held on January 26 and February 23, 2019 at the Vinton Library.

“The overwhelmingly positive feedback from PA students who attended MHFA training sessions not only speaks to the power of MHFA training, but also to what PAs and PA students can do to elevate the role of the profession in issues affecting behavioral healthcare.” said Lee.

Lee conducted pre- and post-training surveys to measure the impact MHFA had on the knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and opinions of participants regarding mental health, and he found statistically significant improvement. In one-month follow-up surveys, most training participants reported how they had already applied the training’s knowledge and skills in real life situations to help themselves and others.

The project has encouraged Lee to continue collaborating with local and state organizations to provide mental health education in his community and beyond.

“MHFA is the opportunity for me to advocate the role of PAs in enhancing and improving the mental health landscape,” said Lee. “I believe that every PA and PA student has the power to be the best advocate for the PA profession.”

Lee became a nationally-certified Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) instructor in March 2018 as part of the PA Foundation’s Mental Health Outreach Fellowship.

This project was supported by the nccPA Health Foundation’s Mental Health Outreach Grant.