Table 7.
Responses to the First Aid Experiences Questionnaire for participants who did report experiencing a first aid situation (n = 30)
| n | % | |
|---|---|---|
|
Q1. In what capacity do you attend the college? |
|
|
| Student |
22 |
73.3 |
| Staff |
7 |
26.7 |
|
Q2. Could you tell us something about the situation(s) and the problem(s) you believed the person was experiencing?* | ||
| Change in eating habits (ate less/restricted diet) |
15 |
50.0 |
| Binge eating |
2 |
6.7 |
| Change in exercise patterns |
11 |
36.7 |
| Vomiting |
1 |
3.3 |
| Weight loss |
17 |
56.7 |
|
Q3. Did you try to assist the person you thought might be developing or experiencing an eating disorder? | ||
| No |
10 |
33.3 |
| Yes |
20 |
66.7 |
|
Q4. What was the reason(s) that you were not able to assist that person?* (n = 10) | ||
| Not close enough to the person/others more appropriate to provide first aid |
5 |
50.0 |
| Person already adequate receiving support/care |
4 |
40.0 |
| Assistance refused |
1 |
10.0 |
|
Q5. Can you give us an example of something you did to assist the person?* (n = 20) | ||
| Approached the person, discussed my concerns, listened to them |
11 |
55.0 |
| Discussed my concerns with someone more appropriate to provide first aid |
7 |
35.0 |
| Offered information and resources about EDs |
2 |
10.0 |
| Encouraged the person to seek help |
6 |
30.0 |
| Encouraged the person to use other supports |
5 |
25.0 |
|
Q6. When assisting the person did you use the information provided in the 'Mental Health First Aid Training Course for Eating Disorders'? (n = 20) | ||
| Yes |
14 |
70.0 |
| No |
0 |
0.0 |
| Not sure |
6 |
30.0 |
|
Q7. How successful do you think you were in assisting the person?(n = 20) | ||
| Very successful |
0 |
0.0 |
| Successful |
9 |
45.0 |
| Neither successful nor unsuccessful |
11 |
55.0 |
| Unsuccessful |
0 |
0.0 |
| Very unsuccessful |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Q8. Would you like to comment on what happened?* (n = 20) | ||
| Unaware of outcome because I didn’t provide the first aid |
2 |
10.0 |
| The person received professional help |
3 |
15.0 |
| The person showed some signs of recovery |
3 |
15.0 |
| The person had made some changes, but am unsure how much recovery is progressing |
3 |
15.0 |
|
Q9. Do you think the information in the 'Mental Health First Aid Training Course for Eating Disorders' contributed to the level of success you had in assisting the person? (n = 20) | ||
| Very much |
6 |
30.0 |
| A little bit |
12 |
60.0 |
| Not sure |
1 |
5.0 |
| Not really |
1 |
5.0 |
| Definitely not |
0 |
0.0 |
|
Q10. When assisting the person, did you do anything differently from what you would have done before attending the 'Mental Health First Aid Training Course for Eating Disorders'? (n = 20) | ||
| Yes |
11 |
55.0 |
| No |
4 |
20.0 |
| Not sure |
5 |
25.0 |
|
Q11. If you answered 'yes' please provide a short description* (n = 11) |
|
|
| Changed the way I approached the person |
7 |
63.6 |
| Because I had more knowledge I noticed more symptoms |
4 |
36.4 |
| Suggested professional help though wouldn’t have before |
3 |
27.3 |
| More understanding and supportive of the person |
2 |
18.2 |
|
Q12. Did you suggest to the person you were assisting that they should seek professional mental health care (e.g. from a GP, psychologist, psychiatrist) (n = 20) | ||
| Yes |
10 |
50.0 |
| No |
3 |
15.0 |
| The person was already receiving mental health care |
3 |
15.0 |
| Not sure |
4 |
20.0 |
|
Q13. As a result, did the person you were assisting seek mental health care from a professional? (n = 20) | ||
| Not applicable |
6 |
30.0 |
| Yes |
7 |
35.0 |
| No |
0 |
0.0 |
| Not sure | 7 | 35.0 |
* Responses were open-ended and therefore participants may have mentioned multiple ideas/categories.