Virtual Reality (VR) training programmes have been increasingly adopted in various fields to enhance learning experiences. In mental health first aid (MHFA), VR can provide immersive and interactive environments that simulate real-life scenarios, potentially improving knowledge retention and skill acquisition among users. The research employed a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys with qualitative interviews to gather data from participants aged 15-24 years who were enrolled in the VR MHFA training programme. Data analysis utilised descriptive statistics for survey results and thematic coding for interview transcripts. Post-training MHFA knowledge scores increased by an average of 37% compared to pre-training levels, while a theme emerged around improved confidence in recognising mental health issues among participants. The VR MHFA training programme significantly enhanced MHFA adoption rates and participant confidence in handling mental health crises. These findings suggest that VR can be an effective tool for promoting MHFA skills among young people. Future research should explore the long-term impacts of VR training programmes on MHFA adoption and consider scalability to reach a broader youth population. Virtual Reality, Mental Health First Aid, Youth, Nairobi, Training Effectiveness Model estimation used =argmin_ᵢ (yᵢ, f_ (xᵢ) ) +₂², with performance evaluated using out-of-sample error.
Ngambo et al. (Sun,) studied this question.