Psychological First Aid

What is Psychological First Aid?

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach that is built on the concept of human resilience. PFA aims to reduce stress symptoms and assist in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, natural disaster, public health emergency, or even a personal crisis.

Why use PFA?

Emotional distress is not always as visible as a physical injury, but is just as painful and debilitating.

After going through a life altering experience it is common to be effected emotionally.

• Everybody who experiences a disaster is touched by it

• Reactions manifest differently at different periods of time during and after the incident.

Some common stress reactions include:

• Confusion

• Fear

• Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness

• Sleep problems

• physical pain

• anxiety

• Anger

• Grief

• Shock

• Aggressiveness

• Withdrawal

• Guilt

• Shaken religious faith

• Loss of confidence in self or others.

While Physical First Aid is used to reduce physical discomfort due to a bodily injury, Psychological First Aid is a strategy to reduce the painful range of emotions and responses experienced by people exposed to high stress

Goal of Psychological First Aid

The goal of Psychological First Aid is to create and sustain an environment of:1) Safety2) Calm & Comfort3) Connectedness4) Self-Empowerment, and5) Hope

Source : https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/ep/behavioral/pfa.html