Psychological
First Aid
Psychological First Aid
PFA is a humane and supportive response to a fellow human
being who is suffering and who may need support. It is an acute
intervention of choice when responding to the psychosocial
needs of children, adults and families affected by disaster and
pandemic.
Psychological first aid is based on the principle of ‘do no harm’.
Psychological First Aid for
School
Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) is an
evidence-informed intervention model to assist students,
families, school personnel, and school partners in the
immediate aftermath of an emergency. PFA-S is designed
to reduce the initial distress caused by emergencies, and
to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and
coping.
PFA involves seven areas:
Goals of PFA
o calm people
o reduce distress
o make people feel safe and secure
o identify and assist with current needs
o establish human connection
o facilitate people’s social support
o help people understand the disaster and its context
o help people identify own strengths and abilities to cope
o foster belief in people’s ability to cope
o give hope
What Psychological First Aid isn’t?
o NOT debriefing
o NOT obtaining details of traumatic experiences and losses
o NOT treating
o NOT labeling or diagnosing
o NOT counseling
o NOT something that only professionals can do
o NOT something that everybody who has been affected by an emergency
will need.
Who may benefit from
PFA?
• Very distressed people who were recently
exposed to a serious stressful event
• Can be provided to adults and children,
adolescents, parents/caretakers, families
who have recently experienced a crisis
event and are distressed
• Not everyone who experiences a crisis
event will need or want PFA
Where is PFA delivered?
o schools o evacuation center
o businesses o recovery center
o shopping center o hospitals
o airports and train stations o humanitarian assistance center
o memorial services o homes
o community center
PFA Action Principles
PREPARE LOOK LISTEN LINK
PREPARE!
LOOK! LISTEN! LINK!
People who may need specialized help
Children
People with health conditions or
physical or mental disabilities
People at risk for discrimination or
violence.
Psychological First
Aid for Children
• Children face some risks and challenges that are similar to those of
adults. But there are also risks that are specific to children. These
include losing or becoming separated from parents, child abuse and
exploitation.
• Children do not understand or react to stressful events in the same way
adults do. Their reactions vary according to how old they are and how
much of the situation they understand. However, there are some
general signs in a child’s behavior that show he or she is in distress.
Examples are if the child:
Has physical symptoms of not feeling well, such as shaking, headaches, loss of
appetite, aches and pains
Is very upset and panicky
Is aggressive and tries to hurt others
Appears withdrawn or very quiet with little or no movements
Hides or stays away from other people
Does not respond to others, does not speak at all
Is very scared.
PFA for children is also based on the
“Look, Listen and Link” actions. However, there
are important difference to keep in mind. These
are that children’s reaction are different and that
the way you communicate with children differs
according to their age.
