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.

BACKGROUND: 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.

AIM: 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.

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

RESULTS: 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.

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