A charitable body has launched new mental health courses intended to boost wellness in workplaces and neighbourhoods across Wales.

St John Ambulance Cymru is calling on business leaders to treat mental health first aid with the same significance as physical first aid.

The organisation trains hundreds of people in mental health first aid each year and pushes for companies to embed these abilities into their core activities.

Belinda James, the senior instructor at St John Ambulance Cymru, explained that if someone who usually arrives early and appears bright and active suddenly seems unkempt, anxious, and irritable, that would be a suitable moment to simply ask whether they are alright.

Ms James highlighted that latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive show around 17 to 18 million working days are lost each year because of mental health problems.

She continued that behind all those numbers are real people who are at home unable to work because they are dealing with difficulties.

St John Ambulance Cymru presently offers a range of Mental Health First Aid Wales-accredited courses aimed at helping people spot and react to signs of mental health problems until qualified help arrives.

The two-day Mental Health First Aid programme teaches adults techniques to support friends, family, and colleagues going through a mental health crisis, covering topics such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, self-harm thoughts, and panic attacks.

Other offerings include a one-day Mental Health Advocate programme, a half-day Mental Health Awareness session, and bespoke training for line managers to help them identify signs of stress among their staff.

For more information or to sign up for a course, go to sjacymru.org.uk/en/courses/MHFA or email training@stjohnwales.org.uk.