Psychological First Aid (PFA)

Children and adolescents in the immediate aftermath of a disaster or terrorism

PFA is a modular approach for assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism to reduce initial distress and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning. It is for use by first responders, incident command systems, primary and emergency health care providers, school crisis response teams, faith-based organizations, disaster relief organizations, Community Emergency Response Teams, Medical Reserve Corps, and the Citizens Corps in diverse settings.

Melissa Brymer

• http://www.nctsn.org/content/psychological-first-aid
• Email: mbrymer@mednet.ucla.edu
• Phone: (310) 235-2633 x227

Homework

This program does not include a homework component.

Languages

Psychological First Aid (PFA) has materials available in the following languages other than English:

For information on which materials are available in this language, please check on the program's website or contact the program representative (contact information is listed in this page).

Manual Information

There is not a manual that describes how to deliver this program.

Training Information

There is no training information available for this program.

• Note: The following studies were not included in rating Psychological First Aid on the Scientific Rating Scale.

  Cain, D. S., Plummer, C. A., Fisher, R. M., & Bankston, T. Q. (2010). Weathering the storm: Persistent effects and psychological first aid with children displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Child & Adolescent Trauma, 3, 330–343. https://doi.org/10.1080/19361521.2010.523063

  Summary:

  The purpose of the study was to examine Weathering the Storm Psychological First Aid (WTS PFA) [now called Psychological First Aid (PFA)] on displaced children in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Participants received the WTS PFA intervention. Measures utilized include the Child Post-Traumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPTS-RI), How Do I Cope With Things That Happen (KidCope), Youth Questionnaire (YQ), and a study-developed questionnaire on educational skills. Results indicate that mean posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scores remained in the moderate range two years post-event. Postintervention scores reflect a statistically significant improvement in PTSD symptoms among the sample. Limitations include a lack of a control group, reliance on self-report measures, and small effect sizes. Note: This article was not used in the rating process due to the lack of a control group.

• Pynoos, R. S., & Nader, K. (1988). Psychological First Aid and treatment approach to children exposed to community violence: Research implications. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 1(4), 445-473.

• Ruzek, J. I., Brymer, M. J., Jacobs, A. K., & Layne, C. M. (2007). Psychological First Aid. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 29(1), 17-49.