Psychological First Aid for First Responders: Tip for Emergency and Disaster Response Workers

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marine Tessier ◽  
Josianne Lamothe ◽  
Steve Geoffrion

Managing post-traumatic stress reactions in the first few days after exposure to a potentially traumatic event in the course of one’s work remains a challenge for first responder organizations such as Emergency Medical Services (EMS). Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach to reducing initial distress and promoting short- and long-term coping strategies among staff in the aftermath of exposure. PFA provided by peer helpers is considered a promising solution for first responder organizations. Unfortunately, first responders may encounter stigma and barriers to mental health care. Therefore, a deeper investigation is needed regarding adherence over time to implemented PFA intervention. The purpose of this study is to qualitatively explore factors that influence adherence to PFA intervention of recipients and peer helpers. EMS workers (n = 11), working as PFA peer helpers for one year, participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis; intercoder reliability (κ = 0.91) was also used. Researchers identified four themes and 11 subthemes influencing adherence to PFA intervention: (1) individual perceptions and attitudes of peer helpers and recipients about pfa intervention; (2) perceived impacts on peer helpers and recipients; (3) organizational support to pfa intervention; and (4) congruence with the occupational culture. Study findings herein suggest that it is conceivable to act on various factors to improve adherence to PFA intervention among peer helpers and recipients within EMS organization. This could lead to enhanced understanding of the challenges involved in sustaining a peer led PFA program for first responders.


2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jordan Pekevski, PhD

Emergencies and disasters are common and occur on a daily basis. Although most survivors will not experience any long-term negative mental health effects, some will. First responders tend to have first contact with the survivors and, therefore, are in a position to provide needed mental health assistance to survivors. Psychological first aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach to providing support to survivors following a serious crisis event, and it aims to reduce the initial distress of the traumatic event and to promote adaptive functioning and coping. PFA has gained a great deal of attention lately, likely due to the fact that it is easy to provide. This article discusses the potential negative effects of emergencies and disasters on mental health, provides a description of PFA and discusses its application, and provides an overview of the research base of PFA and a discussion on the need for future research.


2011 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. S19
Author(s):  
R. Way ◽  
A.A. Bartlett ◽  
T. Wong ◽  
T. Myint ◽  
R. De Souza

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (6) ◽  
pp. 619-623 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virginia Lewis ◽  
Tracey Varker ◽  
Andrea Phelps ◽  
Eve Gavel ◽  
David Forbes

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Watson ◽  
Melissa Brymer ◽  
Josef Ruzek ◽  
Alan Steinberg ◽  
Eric Vernberg ◽  
...  

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Forbes ◽  
Mark Creamer ◽  
J. Don Richardson ◽  
Tracey Varker ◽  
Patricia Watson ◽  
...  

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document