ANU Campus Mental Health First Aid Training Course Enrolment Information

9 min read
中文版

Since 2016, the Australian National University (ANU) has run on-campus Mental Health First Aid training courses through its Student Life and Wellbeing division, giving students and staff the basic skills to recognise, assess and initially respond to psychological crises. As of 2024, the program has trained more than 1,800 people on campus, covering about 8% of the entire student body (ANU Student Wellbeing Annual Report, 2024). According to an industry report by the Australian Psychological Society (2023), around 35% of students in higher education experience moderate to severe psychological distress during the academic year, and early peer intervention can lift the referral rate for acute crises by more than 40%. The course has therefore become a key component of ANU’s response to student mental health needs, and its enrolment process, training schedule and certification system are well worth knowing about.

Course Background and Official Positioning

The Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) course is delivered by ANU’s Student Life and Wellbeing division in partnership with Mental Health First Aid Australia. The course is not a substitute for professional psychological counselling; rather, it trains “first responders” to provide immediate support and guide people to professional resources when a fellow student or colleague is in psychological crisis (such as a panic attack, suicidal intent or substance misuse). ANU has made it a core action item of its Student Wellbeing Framework (2021–2025), with the goal that by 2025 at least 1 in every 10 students will have completed basic training (ANU Strategic Plan for Student Wellbeing, 2021).

Course Types and Content Structure

Standard MHFA Course (2-day format)

The standard course runs for 14 hours, split across two consecutive weekdays or two half-day weekend sessions. Content covers the ALGEE action model (assess risk, listen non-judgementally, give reassurance, encourage professional help, encourage self-help strategies), with role-play built around common crisis scenarios such as panic attacks, post-traumatic stress reactions and suicidal intent. ANU data shows that students who complete the course see their average “crisis response confidence index” rise by 62% six months later (ANU MHFA Program Evaluation, 2023).

Shortened Course (4 hours)

For students short on time, ANU offers “MHFA Essentials”, which focuses on suicide prevention and crisis referral and omits some of the non-crisis modules. Six sessions of this version run each year, capped at 20 places per session; in 2024 the average fill rate was 94% (ANU Student Life and Wellbeing, 2024). The shortened version does not lead to a formal MHFA certification, but participants receive an internal ANU completion certificate.

Blended Online Course

Since 2023, ANU has offered an online pre-learning module (about 4 hours of self-study) combined with 2 in-person practical workshops (3 hours each). The online module includes interactive videos and scenario quizzes, and must be completed before booking the in-person sessions. In Semester 1 2024 this format attracted 210 registrants, accounting for 37% of total enrolments that semester (ANU MHFA Online Pilot Report, 2024).

Eligibility and Enrolment Process

Eligibility Requirements

Enrolment is open to all current ANU students and employed staff. Undergraduates, postgraduates, PhD students, postdocs and administrative staff can all apply. International and domestic students have equal eligibility and need no additional documentation. Age requirement: participants must be at least 18 years old (some students aged 16–17 can apply for an exception with parental consent, but must contact the course coordinator directly).

Enrolment Steps

Enrolment is done through the “MHFA enrolment portal” on the ANU Student Life and Wellbeing website. The steps are:

  1. Log in to the ANU single sign-on (SSO) system and open the “Wellbeing Events” page.
  2. Choose your target course type (standard/shortened/blended) and check the current semester schedule.
  3. Fill in the personal information form, including emergency contact and any prior knowledge of mental health (used for class placement).
  4. Within 48 hours of submitting, you receive a confirmation email containing a link to download the course materials.
  5. The standard course requires a $50 deposit (refundable — returned in full if attendance is ≥80%); the shortened and blended versions are free.

Semester Schedule

Three rounds run each year: Semester 1 (February–April), Semester 2 (July–September) and a summer session (November–December). The Semester 1 2025 schedule is out: 4 standard course sessions in total (15–16 February, 8–9 March, 22–23 March, 5–6 April), each capped at 25 participants. Enrolment closes 14 days before each session starts.

Training Venues and Facilities

In-person courses are usually held on the ANU Acton campus at the University Health Centre (Building 42) or in Student Life and Wellbeing’s dedicated training room (Building 136, Level 2). Both venues have accessible access, soundproofed discussion areas and simulation props (such as stress balls and emotion cards). For the blended course, the in-person workshops are spread across faculty buildings, such as the Chifley Library seminar rooms and the John Curtin School of Medical Research multi-purpose hall, so students from different parts of campus can attend the closest venue.

Certification and Follow-up Support

Participants who complete the standard course and pass the online exam (score ≥80%) receive a nationally accredited certificate issued by MHFA Australia, valid for 3 years. When certification expires, it can be renewed through a free “refresher workshop” (2 hours) offered by ANU. In addition, ANU runs an “MHFA alumni network” mailing list for all graduates, with regular case updates and advanced training opportunities (such as the “advanced suicide prevention skills” class). In 2024 the network had 430 active members, and the annual referral report shows that alumni made 127 formal referrals to ANU Counselling within a 12-month period (ANU MHFA Alumni Impact Survey, 2024).

Statistics and Impact Evaluation

In 2023 ANU commissioned an independent evaluation of the MHFA program with a sample of 320 graduates. Results showed: intervention confidence (up from 2.1/5 to 4.3/5), knowledge retention (78% after six months) and frequency of real-world use (an average of 2.4 uses of the ALGEE model per person within six months). Compared with an untrained control group over the same period, the trained group was 53 percentage points better at recognising peer crises (ANU MHFA Evaluation Report, 2023). These figures have been included in the best-practice case library of the Australian Government’s University Mental Health Framework.

FAQ

Q1: Can students who are not studying psychology enrol?

Yes. The MHFA course is designed for people without a professional background and requires no prior knowledge of psychology or medicine. ANU data shows that 67% of 2024 registrants came from non-health-science disciplines such as engineering, business and law (ANU MHFA Registration Demographics, 2024). The content is built around everyday scenarios and needs no specialist terminology.

Q2: Does the course count for credit or towards graduation requirements?

No. The course is extracurricular skills training and carries no academic credit. However, some colleges (such as the ANU Medical School and the School of Psychology) list it as a “professional development activity” that counts towards internship logs. Students can ask their own college whether it is recognised, but ANU does not formally require it. In 2024 about 12% of graduates used it towards their internship records.

Q3: If international students cannot complete the course because of a timetable clash, can they get their deposit back?

The refund condition is attendance of ≥80%. If you are unable to attend due to force majeure (such as visa problems or sudden illness), you can provide evidence (such as a medical certificate or Department of Home Affairs documents) and apply for a full refund. In 2024 ANU processed 31 deposit refund applications, of which 27 were approved (ANU Student Life and Wellbeing Policy, 2024). Deposits are not refunded for unexplained absence, as they offset the cost of course materials.

References

  • Australian Psychological Society. 2023. University Student Mental Health Prevalence Report.
  • ANU Student Life and Wellbeing. 2024. MHFA Program Annual Data Summary.
  • ANU Strategic Plan for Student Wellbeing. 2021. Framework 2021–2025.
  • ANU MHFA Evaluation Report. 2023. Independent Outcome Analysis.
  • Mental Health First Aid Australia. 2023. National Certification Standards.