Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat It IsHistoryWhen Is It Used?Who Does It?How It WorksResearch
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What It Is
History
When Is It Used?
Who Does It?
How It Works
Research
Psychological first aid (PFA) is a process for helping people after they experience a natural disaster or traumatic event. The goal of PFA is to provide safety, stability, and resources to people in the immediate aftermath of their stressful, disturbing, or life-threatening event.
Photo Talk / Getty Images
What Is Psychological First Aid?
PFA is a technique used to connect with people following a disaster or other traumatic event, ensuring they have support for their immediate needs and assistance finding resources.
PFA follows eight core actions:
PFA is not professionalmental health care. In fact, laypeople (people without professional credentials) often perform it. However, certain understandings about people’s coping needs guide PFA, including:
Since 9/11, mental health experts have widely endorsed and advocated PFA as an early intervention for disaster survivors.
As a concept, PFA was introduced in the mid-20th century. However, it gained traction as a disaster response in the post-9/11 era.
In 2001, in response to mass shootings in schools and the workplace and terrorist attacks, the National Institute of Mental Health brought 60 mental health experts together to discuss the psychological interventions to mass violence.Since then, PFA has become an integral early intervention in disaster response.
“Psychological first aid” is the most widely used term to describe immediate emotional support following a crisis. However, other terms are also used, including:
PFA benefits anyone who has survived or witnessed a traumatic event, including people of any age and gender. The World Health Organization (WHO) identifies the following as crisis events that could benefit from PFA:
People have common stress reactions after a disaster. By reducing their immediate stress through PFA, they may have a better ability to cope long-term. Common stress reactions include:
Providing PFA may look different from crisis to crisis and even from person to person in the same predicament. That’s because each situation is unique. In addition, while there are common reactions to disasters, each person has an individual response, and their immediate needs vary.
People trained in PFA learn five essential elements or goals (sometimes called the five P’s) and how to implement them during their response to a disaster or traumatic event:
What It Is Not
The Evidence for PFA
Despite its widespread use and promotion, there is little scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of PFA. A review of 12 studies published in 2022 reported that PFA may reduce anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress and distress.Children and adults receiving PFA may have an improved sense of connectedness and control.
PFA is based on well-established concepts of humanresilience. In addition, mental health and disaster research and response organizations developed PFA. Therefore, the practice is based on existing knowledge and real-life experience.
Summary
8 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shultz JM, Forbes D.Psychological first aid: Rapid proliferation and the search for evidence.Disaster Health. 2014;2(1):3-12. doi:10.4161/dish.26006National Child Traumatic Stress Network.About PFA.World Health Organization.Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers.Minnesota Department of Health.Psychological first aid (PFA).Department of Veteran’s Affairs.Psychological first aid (PFA) manual.New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Providing psychological first aid (PFA).Hermosilla S, Forthal S, Sadowska K, et al.We need to build the evidence: A systematic review of psychological first aid on mental health and well-being.J Trauma Stress. 2023 Feb;36(1):5-16. doi:10.1002/jts.22888.American Psychological Association.Disaster mental health training for psychologists.
8 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Shultz JM, Forbes D.Psychological first aid: Rapid proliferation and the search for evidence.Disaster Health. 2014;2(1):3-12. doi:10.4161/dish.26006National Child Traumatic Stress Network.About PFA.World Health Organization.Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers.Minnesota Department of Health.Psychological first aid (PFA).Department of Veteran’s Affairs.Psychological first aid (PFA) manual.New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Providing psychological first aid (PFA).Hermosilla S, Forthal S, Sadowska K, et al.We need to build the evidence: A systematic review of psychological first aid on mental health and well-being.J Trauma Stress. 2023 Feb;36(1):5-16. doi:10.1002/jts.22888.American Psychological Association.Disaster mental health training for psychologists.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Shultz JM, Forbes D.Psychological first aid: Rapid proliferation and the search for evidence.Disaster Health. 2014;2(1):3-12. doi:10.4161/dish.26006National Child Traumatic Stress Network.About PFA.World Health Organization.Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers.Minnesota Department of Health.Psychological first aid (PFA).Department of Veteran’s Affairs.Psychological first aid (PFA) manual.New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Providing psychological first aid (PFA).Hermosilla S, Forthal S, Sadowska K, et al.We need to build the evidence: A systematic review of psychological first aid on mental health and well-being.J Trauma Stress. 2023 Feb;36(1):5-16. doi:10.1002/jts.22888.American Psychological Association.Disaster mental health training for psychologists.
Shultz JM, Forbes D.Psychological first aid: Rapid proliferation and the search for evidence.Disaster Health. 2014;2(1):3-12. doi:10.4161/dish.26006
National Child Traumatic Stress Network.About PFA.
World Health Organization.Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers.
Minnesota Department of Health.Psychological first aid (PFA).
Department of Veteran’s Affairs.Psychological first aid (PFA) manual.
New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.Providing psychological first aid (PFA).
Hermosilla S, Forthal S, Sadowska K, et al.We need to build the evidence: A systematic review of psychological first aid on mental health and well-being.J Trauma Stress. 2023 Feb;36(1):5-16. doi:10.1002/jts.22888.
American Psychological Association.Disaster mental health training for psychologists.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
