Psychological First Aid (PFA)

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an approach to providing initial support and assistance to individuals affected by crises, disasters, or traumatic events. The goal of PFA is to help people cope with the immediate emotional impact of a crisis, reduce initial distress, and foster short-term and long-term adaptive functioning. PFA is not a form of psychotherapy; instead, it focuses on practical and humane support that respects the individual’s dignity, culture, and autonomy. The core principles of PFA include safety, calmness, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope.

Read more here:

Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241548205

Psychological First Aid Training: A Scoping Review of Its Application, Outcomes and Implementation (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33926108/)

Building mental health and psychosocial support capacity in higher education: psychological first aid training to support displaced Afghan student refugees (http://www.populationmedicine.eu/Building-mental-health-and-psychosocial-support-capacity-in-higher-education-psychological,165410,0,2.html)