A pilot study of Brazilian-adapted MHFA-informed program

Abstract

Mental disorders represent a growing global burden, with particularly large treatment gaps in low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil. Educational initiatives like Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) seek to improve mental health literacy and reduce stigma among lay populations. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, applicability, and preliminary findings of a Brazilian-adapted MHFA-informed program based on culturally adapted Brazilian MHFA guidelines. A total of 124 employees from three workplaces (two non-profit organizations and one private company) were allocated into intervention and control groups according to institutional operational feasibility, participant registration order, and workplace scheduling demands. The Brazilian-adapted MHFA-informed program consisted of five 1-hour sessions covering depression, psychosis, suicide, trauma, and alcohol-related problems; the control group received Ministry of Health educational materials. Outcomes included attitudes toward mental illness (EMO-56) and perceived stigma (PDDQ), assessed at baseline (T1) and post-intervention (T2). No significant group differences were observed, although both groups showed improvements over time, particularly in the Policy and Structural Assistance dimension (p<0.001). Participants with higher baseline knowledge demonstrated more pronounced improvements over time, and those with self-reported mental illness exhibited more positive attitudes and less stigma. These findings support the feasibility and cultural applicability of a Brazilian-adapted MHFA-informed program in workplace settings. Although limited by sample size and participant attrition, the study highlights the potential relevance of culturally adapted psychoeducational interventions for promoting mental health knowledge and reducing stigma in Brazilian contexts. Future controlled studies with larger samples are needed to further evaluate these approaches.