RBL course helps to spot early signs of mental health issues
SPOTTING early signs of poor mental health in veterans was one of the key messages from a mental health first aid course organised by the Guernsey branch of the Royal British Legion’s welfare service.
Two sold-out sessions were held at the Rocquettes Hotel, with 16 people from a variety of professions, as well as veterans themselves, taking part.
The course was led by mental health first aid trainer Lorraine Thomas, who was visiting from the UK.
‘We equip people with the knowledge and skills to recognise poor mental health and provide first-level support to someone who may be struggling,’ she said.
Since qualifying as a trainer in 2015, she has delivered courses to veterans, their families and other personnel around the world, in locations including the Falkland Islands, Afghanistan and Canada.
‘We talk about some of the issues that they have encountered within their respective job roles. Sharing experiences is one of the best ways for people to get the most out of the sessions,’ she said.
Royal British Legion welfare lead Marlene Place said this was the third time the charity had organised the course, with two previous events being held in 2018 and 2019.
‘We estimate that there are over 2,000 veterans in the island. We contact a range of organisations who then relay the message on to their contacts, and from there we get people expressing an interest.’
She added that the charity was seeking to expand its support for local veterans.
‘We have hundreds of members already, but we’d like to increase awareness about our events. We hold a “banter breakfast” once a month here at the Rocquettes which usually attracts about 70 people, and we will soon have a website online.’
Firefighter Axel Bromley said he was attending the course because he wanted to learn more about how to approach someone who might be experiencing poor mental health.
‘I’ve learned how to pick up the early signs and what to say if someone is struggling. It’s become a big thing at work over the last few years, so what I’ve learnt here will no doubt filter out to my colleagues.’
Royal British Legion welfare team member Morag Brock, who used to be a nurse in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, said that she had found the course informative.
‘It’s been good to take stock and talk about things that you might look past if you didn’t have the knowledge from a course like this.’
