4. Why is Psychological First Aid
important?
• Psychological First Aid is designed to reduce
the initial distress caused by traumatic events
and to foster short- and long-term adaptive
functioning and coping.
https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/sites/default/files/public/php/146/146_guide.pdf
5. Why is Psychological First Aid
important?
People do better over
the long term if they…
– Feel safe, connected to
others, calm & hopeful;
– Have access to social,
physical & emotional
support;
– Regain a sense of
control by being able to
help themselves
7. Psychological First Aid (PFA) is:
A description of a humane,
supportive response to a
fellow human being who is
suffering and who may need
support.
From WHO, War Trauma Foundation and
World Vision International (2011), based
on Sphere (2011) & IASC MHPSS
Guidelines (2007)
8. Psychological First Aid (PFA) is:
Psychological first aid
(PFA) is a method of
helping people in
distress so they feel
calm and supported to
cope better with their
challenges.
It is a way of
assisting someone to
manage their
situation and make
informed decisions.
9. PFA: First-Line
Psychosocial Support
• PFA is important, first-line psychosocial support
for people affected by crisis events
– PFA, like medical “first aid”, is not enough on its
own
• Term “PFA” was first coined in the 1940s but its
use has increased in modern-day crisis events
23. 10. PFA fundamentally involves asking people
details about how they feel or what happened.
FALSE
24. Misconceptions about PFA
• Something only professionals can give;
• Professional counselling;
• A clinical or psychiatric intervention (although it can be part of good
clinical care);
• Psychological debriefing;
• Asking someone to analyse what happened to them or to put time
and events in order;
• Pressing people to tell you their story;
• Asking people details about how they feel or what happened.
27. PFA: Who?
PFA is for distressed people who have been recently
exposed to a serious crisis event;
You can provide help to both children and adults;
However, not everyone who experiences a crisis event will
need or want PFA;
Do not force help on people who do not want it, but make
yourself easily available to those who may want support.
28. PFA: Who?
There may be situations when someone needs much more
advanced support than PFA alone;
Know your limits and get help from others, such as medical
personnel (if available), your colleagues or other people in
the area, local authorities, or community and religious
leaders.
29. PFA: Who?
In the following box we have listed people who need
more immediate advanced support. People in these
situations need medical or other help as a priority to
save life.
32. PFA: When?
Although people may need access to help and support for a
long time after an event, PFA is aimed at helping people who
have been very recently affected by a crisis event;
33. PFA: When?
You can provide PFA when you first have contact with very
distressed people. This is usually during or immediately after an
event;
However, it may sometimes be days or weeks after, depending
on how long the event lasted and how severe it was.
35. PFA: Where?
You can offer PFA wherever it is safe enough for you to do so.
This is often in community settings, such as at the scene of an
accident, or places where distressed people are served, such
as health centres, shelters or camps, schools and distribution
sites for food or other types of help;
36. PFA: Where?
Ideally, try to provide PFA where you can have some privacy
to talk with the person when appropriate;
For people who have been exposed to certain types of crisis
events, such as sexual violence, privacy is essential for
confidentiality and to respect the person’s dignity.
38. Who provides PFA?
PFA should be delivered by appropriate agencies as part of st
ate, regional/district or local emergency management plans;
Responses can be undertaken in a coordinated manner, and
the psychosocial support can be provided as a key part of the
emergency response.
40. Importance of Good
Communication in PFA
Good Communication At times of distress people who have b
een through a crisis event may be very upset, anxious or conf
used;
Good communication is vital at these times;
Stay calm and show understanding of the situation and their
experience.
41. Importance of Good
Communication in PFA
Be open to listen to someone’s story but do not force them to
tell you;
Keep your language simple; communicate well with words
and body language appropriate to their culture, age, gender,
religion and custom.
43. Helping responsibly involves 4
Main Points:
A. Adapt what you do to take account of the person’s culture;
B. Respect safety, dignity and rights
C. Be aware of other emergency response measures;
D. Practice self-care
44. A. Adapt what you do to take
account of the person’s culture
You may find yourself working with people of backgrounds
different from your own. As a helper, it is important to be aware
of your own cultural background and beliefs so you can set
aside your own biases.
Offer help in ways that are most appropriate and comfortable to
the people you are supporting.
45. See the following box for questions you can
consider in providing PFA in different cultures.
46. See the following box for questions you can
consider in providing PFA in different cultures.
47. B. Respect safety, dignity and
rights
When you take on the responsibility to help in situations where
people have been affected by a distressing event, it is important
to act in ways that respect the safety, dignity and rights of the
people you are helping.
The following principles apply to any person or agency involved
in humanitarian response, including those who provide PFA:
49. Helping responsibly involves 4
Main Points:
Keep these principles in mind in all of your actions and with
all people you encounter, whatever their age, gender or
ethnic background;
Consider what these principles mean in terms of your
cultural context. Know and follow your agency codes of
conduct at all times if you work or volunteer for an agency
that has these codes.
Note:
50. C. Be aware of other emergency
response measures;
Try to be aware of what services and supports may
be available so you can share information with people
you are helping and tell them how to access practical
help
51. C. Be aware of other emergency
response measures;
52. C. Be aware of other emergency
response measures;
It is not necessary to have a “psychosocial” background in
order to offer PFA. However, if you want to help in crisis
settings, we recommend that you work through an
organization or community group.
If you act on your own, you may put yourself at risk, it may
have a negative effect on coordination efforts, and you are
unlikely to be able to link affected people with the
resources and support they need.
53. D. Practice self-care
Helping responsibly also means taking care of your own
health and wellbeing.
As a helper, you may be affected by what you experience
in a crisis situation, or you or your family may be directly
affected by the event
54. D. Practice self-care
It is important to pay extra attention to your own wellbeing
and be sure that you are physically and emotionally able
to help others.
Take care of yourself so that you can best care for others.
If working in a team, be aware of the wellbeing of your
fellow helpers as well.
56. PFA Introduction Examples
Towards Adult/Caregiver:
“Hello. My name is ___________. I work with __________.
I’m checking in with people to see how they are doing, and
to see if I can help in any way. Is it okay if I talk to you for a
few minutes? May I ask your name? Mrs. Sharma, before
we talk, is there something right now that you need, like
some water or fruit juice?”
57. PFA Introduction Examples
Towards Adolescent/Child:
And is this your daughter? (Get on child’s eye level, smile
and greet the child, using her/his name and speaking softly.)
Hi Pooja, I’m ___________ and I’m here to try to help you
and your family. Is there anything you need right now? There
is some water and juice over there, and we have a few
blankets and toys in those boxes
