TRUE or FALSE: Mar 2, 2013

Ψ FIRST AID

Helping Survivors in the Immediate Aftermath of Disaster!!!

In connection with this is to provide a well cared information and Fully first aid to those affected with Psychological Needs. In-lined with this is to promote a Social Recreation Program needs to all Survivors who Immediate aftermath with Disaster, as well as the non-affected persons.

Developed jointly with the PHILIPPINE MENTAL HEALTH

ASSOCIATION, Davao Chapter , PFA is an evidence-

informed 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.

A full-scale public response to disasters must attend to both

the physical and mental health needs of affected groups.

DO !!!

Promote Safety :

Ψ: Help people meet basic needs for foods & , and obtain emergency medical attention.

Ψ: Provide repeated , simple and accurate information on how to obtain these.

Promote Calm :

Ψ: listen to people who wish to share their stories and emotions and remember there is no

wrong or right way to feel .

Ψ: Be friendly and compassionate even if the people are being difficult.

Ψ: Offer accurate information about the disaster or trauma, and the relief effort underway to

help victims understand the situation.

Promote Connectedness :

Ψ: Help people contact friends or loved ones.

Ψ: Keep families together. Keep children with parents or other close relatives whenever

possible.

Ψ: Give practical suggestion that steer people towards helping themselves.

Ψ: Engage people in meeting their own needs.

Promote Hope :

Ψ: Find out the types and locations of government and non-government services and direct people to those services that are available.

Ψ: Remind people ( if you know) that more help and services are on the way when they express fear or worry.

DON'T !!!

∆ Force people to share their stories with you, especially very personal details ( this may

decrease calmness in people who are not ready to share their experiences).

∆ Give simple reassurances like " everything will be Ok" or " At least you survived "

(Statements like these tend to diminish calmness).

∆ Tell people why you think they should be feeling, thinking or doing now or how they should

have acted earlier ( this decrease self-efficacy ).

∆ Tell people why you think they have suffered by alluding to personal behaviors or belief

of victims ( this also decrease self-efficacy ).

∆ Make promises that may not be kept ( un-kept promises decrease hope)

Ψ First Aid

This Describes an evidence- based approach for helping survivors cope in the immediate aftermath of a disaster known as Psychological First Aid, and explains how to administer it.
Psychological First Aid, Aims to mollify the painful range of emotions and physical responses experience by people exposed to disaster.

These reactions include combinations of confusion, fear , physical pain, anxiety , anger , shame , shaken religious faith , and loss of confidence in self or others.
Psychological First Aid can help alleviate these painful emotions and reduce further harm that can result from initial reactions to disasters.