MH101® workshop impact evaluation 2023
Published:
June 12, 2023
Research type:
MH101® is a one-day mental health literacy workshop which gives participants the knowledge, skills and confidence to recognise, relate and respond to people experiencing mental health challenges while maintaining their own wellbeing.
The workshop also addresses the stigma and discrimination experienced by many people experiencing mental distress.
Increasing people’s mental health literacy skills and understanding is crucial to ensuring our workplaces and communities can appropriately support people experiencing mental health challenges when they need it.
Mental health training that makes an impact
People who attend MH101® report feeling more confident in their ability to recognise when people are experiencing mental health challenges, how to support them, and how to improve their own self-care.
It’s impactful learning that makes a difference. Blueprint for Learning regularly evaluates the MH101® workshop to ensure the increased confidence, understanding and skills people gained during their MH101® workshop were maintained six months later.
In the impact evaluation published by Te Pou in June 2023, nearly all MH101® workshop participants (90%) said they were more confident talking about mental health issues.
The impact evaluation looked at the feedback provided by MH101® participants who attended an in-person or online workshop from January 2020 to June 2022.
- Most participants retained knowledge and confidence around recognising and responding to mental health challenges.
- Three-quarters of participants had a meaningful conversation with someone they were concerned about – most received a positive response.
- Over two in five participants have had conversations about suicide.
- Hearing facilitators’ personal experiences of mental health challenges in a safe and discussion-based learning environment contributed highly to this outcome.
- Te Whare Tapa Whā provided a foundation and shared understanding to start conversations about mental health, both at work and with friends and whānau.
- Using Te Whare Tapa whā can reduce some of the stigma around talking about mental health.
- Participants were still using their learning and felt it was making a positive difference to their own and others’ wellbeing.
Interestingly, the evaluation found that the availability of workplace mental health policy and support was related to people’s ability to put key MH101® learning into practice.
Looking at the numbers
- 96% of participants would recommend MH101® to colleagues.
- 83% found their MH101® learning useful at work.
- 74% retained their knowledge and confidence three to six months after they attended MH101®.
- 94% found learning signs of major mental illnesses useful.
- 93% found the sharing of facilitators’ lived experiences of mental health challenges useful.
- 73% reported having a meaningful conversation with someone they were concerned about after attending MH101®.
Highlighting participant experiences
The focus groups held as part of the impact evaluation gave valuable insight into how workshop participants put their learning into practice to engage in meaningful conversations.
“I had a new mum come in [to a public library] and I thought she was doing great, and instead of just giving her the usual platitudes, I actually said to her, very seriously ‘How are you doing?’
And she started crying and she said ‘it’s not going like everybody else is’. And I just thought ‘Wow, it really does make a difference just to ask.’…
She came back a couple of weeks later and said that it really made a difference to her that somebody had stopped and actually listened.
For me it was one of those ‘lightbulb aha’ moments.”
Impact evaluation of MH101® full report
Learn more about the ongoing impact of MH101® and read participant stories in the full MH101® impact evaluation 2023 report.
Or you can find a quick summary of key findings in the MH101 impact evaluation 2023 infographic.
Find a MH101® workshop
Register now for the workshop you know works. Learn what to do, and when, to support someone experiencing mental health challenges, and how to maintain your own wellbeing.
