Identify - The role of psychological first aid after a crisis or emergency

“Like regular first aid, psychological first aid is a way of helping someone in pain – except rather than cleaning or bandaging a cut or applying ice to a sprained ankle, you tend to someone’s anxiety or distress in a way that will ease it and help restore a sense of equanimity,” said Stacey Colino, an award-winning health and science writer.

The main objectives for conducting first aid would be the 4 Ps – preserve life, prevent further injury, promote recovery and protect the unconscious. Similarly, the first three Ps applies in psychological first aid (PFA):

• Preserve life by preserving emotional stability and sanity of the person
• Prevent further injury such as the onset of mental illness by reacting timely and effectively
• Promote recovery through resilience

These were shared by Ms Faiszah Hamid, Trainer in Physiological First Aid and Community Based Psychosocial Support from Psychosocial Initiative/Integrative Learning Corporation during the National Life Saving Day 2023 Symposium organised by Singapore Heart Foundation on 15 Jan 2023.

In the face of a crisis, different people will respond differently, and the impact of trauma differs from person to person. Using the recent COVID-19 situation in Singapore as an example, Singaporeans suffered a certain degree of trauma due to the drastic changes made to their life due to the pandemic. For example, many rushed to queue in supermarkets upon the announcement of Circuit Breaker to fulfil their social consideration for essential services and security. There are also individuals who had more serious impact due to the changes and had to receive focused non-specialised support or specialised services during the lockdown.

As we cannot always rely on professionals to solve psychosocial problems, it is important for everyone to step out and be trained in psychological first aid to provide emotional support and practical help to the affected person(s) during or immediately after a crisis.

Watch her full presentation here: