1. In Times of Crisis:
Supporting Others,
Supporting Ourselves
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18. Unit Objectives
1. Psychological impacts to expect
after a disaster – What happens to
the people?
2. How to work with the psychological
impacts in your role – Providing
psychological support.
3. Responder stress management and
self-care.
19. Are We
Psychologically Prepared?
• For every physical injury, there may
be 5-6 psychological injuries
This may overwhelm and impede our
emergency and/or medical response.
24. Possible Psychological Reactions
to a Large-Scale Emergency
Many people survive disasters without
developing any significant psychological
symptoms.
For other individuals, the reactions will
disappear over time.
“Just because you have experienced a
disaster does not mean you will be
damaged by it, but you will be
changed by it.”
(Weaver 1995)
25. Grief and Loss
Not an even process
Takes time
Can become stuck in the process
May spawn other problems
Nothing like T & T (Time and Talking)
26. What main attributes
and skills should a
volunteer have when
offering psychological
support?
What Do You Think?
28. Guiding Principles in Providing
Psychological Support in Your Role
Protect from danger
Be direct and active
Provide accurate information about what
you’re going to do
Reassure
Do not give false assurances
Recognize the importance of taking action
Provide and ensure emotional support
30. THE EIGHT COMPONENTS OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID (PFA)
• Initiating contact and engaging with an affected
person in a non-intrusive, compassionate and
helpful manner
• Providing immediate and ongoing safety and
both physical and emotional comfort
• If necessary, stabilising survivors who are
overwhelmed and distraught
• Gathering information to determine immediate
needs and concerns and to tailor PFA
interventions
31. Psychological First Aid
• Providing practical assistance in helping the survivor
address immediate needs and concerns
• Connecting the survivor with social supports by
helping to structure opportunities for brief or ongoing
contacts with primary support persons and/or
community helping services
• Providing information on coping, including education
about stress reactions and coping (often in a written
format)
• Linking the survivor with collaborative services and
providing information about those that may be
needed in the future
32. Goals of Psychological First Aid
Psychological first aid (PFA) promotes and
sustains an environment of:
SAFETY
CALM
CONNECTEDNESS
SELF-EFFICACY
HELP
35. Activity –
Supportive Statements
What are some
supportive statements that
you would find helpful if
you were in pain, injured,
and/or acute emotional
distress.
37. Activity –
Unhelpful Statements
What are some
statements that you
would find unhelpful if
you were in pain, afraid,
injured, and/or dealing
with tremendous loss.
38. Avoid Saying . . .
“I understand what it’s like for you.”
“Don’t feel bad.”
“You’re strong/You’ll get through this.”
“Don’t cry.”
“It’s God’s will.”
“It could be worse” or “At least you still have
. . .”
39. Psychological First Aid
Promote SAFETY:
Help people meet basic needs for food and
shelter, & obtain medical attention.
Provide repeated, simple and accurate
information on how to get these basic
needs met.
40. Psychological First Aid
Promote CALM:
Listen to people who wish to share their
stories and emotions, & remember that there
is no right or wrong way to feel.
Be friendly & compassionate even if people
are being difficult.
Offer accurate information about the disaster
or trauma, and the relief efforts underway to
help victims understand the situation.
41. Psychological First Aid
Promote CONNECTEDNESS:
Help people contact friends and loved
ones.
Keep families together. Keep children with
parents or other close relatives whenever
possible.
42. Psychological First Aid
Promote SELF-EFFICACY:
Give practical suggestions that steer people
toward helping themselves.
Engage people in meeting their own needs.
43. Psychological First Aid
Promote HELP:
Find out the types and locations of
government & non-government services
and direct people to those services that are
available.
When they express fear or worry, remind
people (if you know) that more help and
services are on the way.
44. Psychological First Aid
DON’T:
Force people to share their stories with you,
especially very personal details (this may
decrease calmness in people who are not
ready to share their experiences).
Give simple reassurances like “everything will
be ok”, or “at least you survived” (statements
like these tend to diminish calmness).
45. Psychological First Aid
DON’T:
Tell people what you think they should be
feeling, thinking or doing now or how they
should have acted earlier (this decreases self-
efficacy).
Tell people why you think they have suffered
by giving reasons about their personal
behaviors or beliefs (this also decreases self-
efficacy).
46. Psychological First Aid
DON’T:
Make promises that may not be kept (un-kept
promises decrease hope).
Criticize existing services or relief activities in
front of people in need of these services (this
may decrease hopefulness or decrease
calming).
Source: Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress
