Associations of Adolescent Mental Health First Aid Intentions and Help-Giving Behaviours: A School-Based Longitudinal Study

It is unclear how well intentions to support an adolescent peer with a mental health problem or in crisis translate into actual help-giving behaviours. Using data from a longitudinal study, this analysis aimed to investigate the associations between mental health first aid intentions and supportive behaviours among adolescents. A sample of 2749 Australian adolescents were included in the baseline analyses of 12 intention items and other covariates. At 12- and 18-month follow-up, 733 and 520 students reported valid data on their help-giving behaviours. Linear and logistic regression models were employed to examine the associations. High-to-moderate concordance was observed between baseline first aid intentions and the corresponding helping behaviours during follow-up assessments, with exceptions in items related to seeking help from adults/professionals or suicide. The overall quality of first aid intentions at baseline was significantly associated with that of helping behaviours at 12-month follow-up, after adjusting for potential confounders. Eleven of the 12 measured intentions prospectively predicted corresponding actions at 12 months, and in seven of them such predictive effect remained significant up to 18 months after training delivery. These findings suggest that adolescents’ first aid intentions can predict their helping behaviours, thus supporting the notion that training programmes that improve adolescents’ first aid intentions have the potential to translate into actual actions. Future research is warranted to narrow the gap between certain intentions and behaviours, particularly those related to seeking help from adults/professionals and suicide.