Introduction
Disasters and accidents can lead not only to injury but also to major psychological problems, post-traumatic stress disorder (PSTD) being one of them. Therefore, it is important to provide victims of such situations with psychological help. One of the methods for providing such help, psychological first aid (PFA) was developed in 2006. In this paper, I will discuss some facts that I learned about PFA, consider a major disaster (Hurricane Katrina) and response to it, and give some recommendations to those who might need to offer psychological aid to victims of traumatic experiences in the future.
Facts about PFA that I Have Learned
This week, I have learned some important facts about psychological first aid (PFA). First, I have realized that not every person is “entitled” to supply PFA to anyone. For instance, in some cultures only a woman could approach another woman and offer help; the presence of a man would only unsettle the victim more. Another point is that PFA is not asking and analyzing the person’s experiences; it is providing basic help (World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation, & World Vision International, 2011). While these are simple facts, they need to be explicitly realized before PFA is to be given in an extreme situation.
Hurricane Katrina and the Response to It
Hurricane Katrina took place at the end of August 2005. It was one of the most severe natural disasters in the history of the U.S. Numerous victims of the hurricane required psychological aid. For instance, it is stated that “more than 50 percent of respondents showed signs of a ‘possible’ need for mental health treatment” in New Orleans, and over a half of the survivors had problems with mental health 15 months after the hurricane (Rhodes et al., 2012, para. 6).
It is stated that the response to the hurricane was poor; psychological assistance was also weak (Gheytanchi et al., 2007). It mostly consisted of “treating acute stress reactions in victims” (Gheytanchi et al., 2007, p. 119). Thus, psychological help was provided in person, but this help is claimed to have been ineffective. In particular, the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) interventions were offered within three days after exposure to the disaster to groups of victims; it is asserted that this method was ineffective, and that failed to prevent PTSD in most victims (Gheytanchi et al., 2007, p. 126).
It is apparent that a number of other approaches might have been more effective than CISD. PFA is also named as one of such approaches (Gheytanchi et al., 2007, p. 126). It is important that PFA can be provided by non-psychologists, which means that, had it existed and been used during Hurricane Katrina, it could have been employed by a large number of emergency specialists and covered much more victims.
How to Act in Future Disasters
First civilian responders should consider a number of factors before providing psychological aid. It is important to gather at least basic information about the disaster and assess one’s readiness to offer PFA. It might be useful to cooperate with colleagues, friends or acquaintances who happened to be near.
While providing PFA, it is important to listen to the person whom one is helping, supply them with practical comfort such as warm clothes or water, etc. It is crucial to be courteous, not to impose oneself on the person whom one is trying to help, reflect on what the victim says and think carefully about what to say so as not to upset them further, etc. (World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation, & World Vision International, 2011).
Conclusion
To sum up, PFA is a method that might help greatly reduce psychological trauma and PSTD in victims of various disasters and similar situations. It was only developed in 2006; had it been possible to use PFA while responding to Hurricane Katrina, the number and severity of psychological problems in its victims might have been lower. While providing PFA, one needs to offer comfort to the person who suffered, and behave courteously, not imposing oneself on the victim.
References
Gheytanchi, A., Joseph, L., Gierlach, E., Kimpara, S., Housley, J., Franco, Z. E., & Beutler, L. E. (2007). The dirty dozen: Twelve failures of the Hurricane Katrina response and how psychology can help. American Psychologist, 62(2), 118-130. Web.
Rhodes, J., Chan, C., Paxson, C., Rouse, C. E., Waters, M., & Fussell, E. (2012).The impact of Hurricane Katrina on the mental and physical health of low-income parents in New Orleans.American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 80(2), 237-247. Web.
World Health Organization, War Trauma Foundation, & World Vision International. (2011). Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers. Web.