What if my partner or my sister gets depressed? Then it’s all about knowing the right first aid. And you can learn how to do it.
Something is wrong. Marie is actually such a fun-loving person, she dances at every party, is always planning the next adventure and her laugh is so warm that it infects everyone around her.
Well, that’s how it was. Now it’s different.
She becomes more and more withdrawn, cancels appointments spontaneously and is often too tired to go out in the evening. When she does show up, she continues to joke around and laugh, but her eyes, under which dark circles have formed, no longer cooperate.
Marie has changed.
Her friends notice this too. They are worried, suspecting that their friend is going through a depressive phase or other psychological problems. Nevertheless, they remain silent, even when Marie starts talking about dying. Not because they don’t want to help her. There is nothing they would rather do than that. But they simply don’t know how.
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How do you ask a friend how she’s really doing when she’s laughing in your face?
How do you tell her she’s lost her sparkle?
How do you express that you are seriously worried?
Sensitive conversation and self-care
It is questions like these that almost all of us are familiar with. Most of us know someone like Marie. For some of us, it is not a friend, but a child, parent, brother or uncle, colleague or partner. Every year, around 2.8 million people in Germany alone are diagnosed with a mental illness – and the trend is rising. But it is not just those affected who suffer from it, but often their relatives too. The defining feeling: helplessness.
The organization “Mental Health First Aid” (MHFA) is countering this feeling with a special offer. In 2000, the founders of the initiative launched a first aid course for the psyche. Since 2019, corresponding courses have also been available in Germany. To date, around six million people worldwide have been trained as first aiders for the psyche. Instead of the recovery position, something else is on the curriculum: sensitive conversation with people who suffer from addiction, depression or anxiety disorders, and self-care.
Of course, this doesn’t make you a therapist. It’s more about relatives knowing how to lend a hand to those affected without getting lost in the merry-go-round of mental illness themselves. In several course units in small groups, participants learn how to talk to relatives when they notice a change or express negative feelings such as an inner emptiness or even suicidal thoughts. The aim is to be a bridge between those affected and psychotherapy, to offer them help and perspectives without putting pressure on them.
For this purpose, the initiators have developed their own conversation approach, which is protected by copyright and is only passed on as part of the training. They call it the “Roger” principle. It is based on various communication concepts and psychological practice and, above all, conveys to the participants an empathetic and constructive attitude towards those affected.
How to learn first aid for depression
A course is always led by a psychologist who also provides basic knowledge about common mental illnesses and methods of self-care for relatives. A key message: Even if we want to help our loved ones, we must not forget ourselves. The course leaders generally treat the participants very sensitively – the camera must always be switched on during the online course so that they can see that everyone is OK despite the sometimes emotionally difficult topics. There is also an on-site offer. If you do feel triggered, you can take a short break in both cases.
In principle, anyone who is not currently in a critical psychological phase themselves can take part. So far, however, the offer has mainly been used by women and people who come into contact with corresponding symptoms in a professional context. The need for people who know how to deal with mental crises is constantly growing. The number of people affected has continued to rise since the pandemic, both among adults and among children and young people, while therapy places are scarce. And it can happen to anyone. This makes us all the more dependent on finding support in our private environment when we lose it within ourselves.
Speaking of which, back to Marie. Let’s assume that Marie’s friends had completed the mental health first aid course. They would have found a quiet place and talked to her, asked her honestly and openly how she was doing. They would have reflected what she was saying and how she seemed, and that they were worried. They would not have put pressure on her to get help, but would have simply informed her objectively about what can be done to combat depression – and what contact points there are. And finally, they would have shown her that they were there for her, without expectations or prejudices, and shown her what other resources she had to combat her mental illness.
Yes, they would have lovingly extended their hand to her. Because they would have known what to do and what to say. And in doing so, perhaps helped her to find her radiance again.
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Source: Stern

I’m Caroline, a journalist and author for 24 Hours Worlds. I specialize in health-related news and stories, bringing real-world impact to readers across the globe. With my experience in journalism and writing in both print and online formats, I strive to provide reliable information that resonates with audiences from all walks of life.