Table 2.
The Four Main Actions in Psychological First Aid and How It Can Be Applied to the COVID-19 Pandemic
| Four Principles of Psychological First Aid | Application to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic: Examples |
|---|---|
| Prepare | |
| Learn about the crisis event. | Connect with reliable source of information about the pandemic. |
| Learn about available services and supports. | Discuss with managers and institutional support system. |
| Learn about safety and security concerns. | Get proper training on personal protection equipment and help others to be trained; provide simulation. |
| Action principles | |
| Look | |
| Check for safety. | Be part of the coaching team to keep colleagues safe during personal protection equipment donning and doffing. |
| Check for people with obvious urgent basic needs. | Take time daily to observe people and how they are coping. |
| Check for people with serious distress reactions. | Be aware of your surroundings for signs of stress and extreme reactions of anxiety and fear. |
| Listen | |
| Approach people who may need support. | With respect, offer your ears and your time. Do not force people to talk; look for a quiet and private place. Emphasize self-care. |
| Ask about people’s needs and concerns. | Are you OK to go home? Are you concern about your family? Facilitate coronavirus disease 2019 testing. |
| Listen to people and help them to feel calm. | Normalize people’s response; what are expected reactions, emphasizing the altruism of working during pandemic. |
| Link | |
| Help people address basic needs and access services. | Help to provide home transportation, grocery shopping, childcare, water, and lunch at breakrooms with proper distancing. |
| Help people cope with problems. | Assure safety on patient care, organize brief open discussions before and after shift; facilitate duty days/shifts adjustments. |
| Give information. | Share knowledge: offer tips about how one can protect family members. Be honest: if you don’t know, tell them that “you are going to find out the answers.” |
| Connect people with loved ones and social support. | Be aware of people with stress and connect them with local support systems and their family (with their permission). |
Adapted from World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation, World Vision International. Psychological First Aid: Guide for Field Workers. Geneva: WHO Press; 2011.