St John Ambulance Cymru has unveiled a range of new courses designed to give people the skills to recognise signs of mental ill-health and provide initial support until professional help is received.

The first aid charity for Wales, which trains hundreds of people in Mental Health First Aid each year, is calling on businesses to integrate it into the core of their operations, treating it with the same lifesaving urgency as physical first aid.

The charity’s Lead Trainer, Belinda James, noted that approximately 17 to 18 million workdays are lost annually due to mental health struggles.

James said the statistics, published by the Health and Safety Executive, were “surprising and upsetting.”

For more information visit www.sjacymru.org.uk/en/courses/MHFA.