Psychological First Aid
What You Can Do to Help
When Disaster Strikes We often take the regular routines of each day for granted. We may even on occasion complain about how difficult it is to achieve a reasonable balance. But somehow we manage.
Then our lives suddenly change. A flood, hurricane, tornado, fire, or school shooting catches us off guard. It doesnít even have to affect us directly to leave its mark. You realize that you could be that person, in such a situation, who has lost loved ones, all your worldly possessions, and your livelihood. It may be only a matter of circumstances that spared you from a similar fate.
The closer people are to the disaster, one that strikes in their homes, workplaces, or schools, the more likely they are to experience stress reactions in the hours, days, and, possibly, weeks following the event. They must contend with so much more than trying to achieve a work-life balance. Now think about what it would be like to find yourself in the midst of a disaster. How would you ease the burden for yourself and for those around you?
Immediately after the Disaster
Attending to the basic needs of people in distress is essential. This is where Psychological First Aid (PFA) can be helpful. PFA is a way to give emotional support and help to people of any age, ethnic and cultural heritage, and social and economic background in the immediate aftermath of disaster.
Personal factors, along with the specific circumstances of the disaster will evoke different stress reactions, from you, your family members, friends, colleagues, or people you hardly know, but nevertheless have encountered because of the disaster.
You may interact with individuals who are experiencing:
- A range of emotions, including shock, grief, sadness, anger, apathy, or mood swings
- Changes in how they think, concentrate, and process information
- Physical symptoms, such as headaches, fatigue, difficulty breathing, or changes in appetite and weight
- Atypical behavior, including outbursts, acts of aggression, or social withdrawal
- Loss of faith in their spiritual beliefs, resulting in the abandonment of rituals and rejection of spiritual care providers
PFA will provide you with basic strategies to help people cope with their pressing concerns and needs in the days and weeks after the disaster. These are also strategies that you can practice for yourself so that you can remain calm, focused, and able to help others.
Reach out to those who need help and provide comfort care.
- Make certain that individuals are safe and out of harmís way.
- Offer immediate assistance to distressed individuals by looking for ways to keep them comfortable (e.g., providing blankets and water or directing them to a place to sit).
- Let individuals know you are concerned about them and describe how you may be able to help.
- Make eye contact and determine the personís comfort level with you as a helper. Be aware that some people are not comfortable asking for help.
- Speak slowly and clearly, and in turn, allow the person to speak without interruption.
- Protect the personís privacy by keeping your conversation from being overheard.
- Avoid making promises you will not be able to keep.
- Provide something for individuals to do; ask teenagers, adults, and older adults to help out where they can.
- Provide an interpreter or translator for individuals when necessary and be sensitive to cultural and ethnic needs.
Recognize basic needs and support problem-solving.
- Help people to find safe and secure shelter.
- Help individuals locate food and water.
- Direct individuals to places where they can wash-up and provide them with clean clothing.
- Be patient, especially with older adults, and be prepared to explain things more than once.
- Assume a position at eye level when you address children, and use words they can understand.
- Arrange activities that will keep children engaged so that parents can complete practical tasks.
- Identify what an individualís specific needs are and help him or her develop a plan of action.
- Be specific and concrete, and focus on one task at a time.
Validate survivorsí feelings and thoughts.
- Listen and hear what survivors have to say by being fully present and attentive.
- Allow them to talk as little or as much as they care to. Try not to push too hard to get them to talk about what happened or how they are feeling.
- Avoid the temptation to judge the rightness or wrongness of their reactions.
- Remain open to an individual who is challenging his or her belief system.
Provide accurate and timely information.
- Provide accurate information in response to questions as soon as you can.
- Take the time to find an answer to a personís question.
- Refrain from sharing information that you have not confirmed.
Connect people with their support systems.
- Help survivors to find family members and confirm where their loved ones are located.
- Facilitate your communityís spiritual practices as desired and requested.
- Contact medical professionals who can help with physical conditions and medication needs.
- Make referrals to mental health professionals, especially if individuals exhibit risky or dangerous behaviors or ask to see a counselor.
Provide education about stress responses.
- Help people to understand the stress they may be experiencing in response to the situation will lessen with time.
- Encourage individuals to seek help from a physician or mental health professional.
- Exercise caution that you donít minimize a personís reactions.
Reinforce strengths and positive coping strategies.
- Encourage individuals to get back to their routine activities as soon as practical.
- Suggest that individuals choose healthy foods and minimize the amount of junk food they eat.
Project Director/Subject Matter Expert: Jack Herrmann, MSED., NCC, LMHC
Reviewer/Subject Matter Expert: Valerie Cole, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist
Designer/Writer: Antonia Messineo
© University of Rochester, 2007. These materials were made possible by funding provided by the New York State Office of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control, Public Health Preparedness and Response for Bioterrorism grant, Cooperative Agreement No. U90/CCU216988 administered by the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and Health Research, Inc. (HRI). The content is solely the responsibility of the project director and does not necessarily represent the official views of DHHS, CDC, NYSDOH, or HRI.