Psychological first aid: Supporting people affected by disaster in Australia

Australian Red Cross and Australian Psychological Society, Australia, 2020

Related to Disasters, Resilience, Responding to traumatic events, Stress

The purpose of this guide is to provide an overview for people working in disaster preparedness, response and recovery about best-practice in psychological first aid following disasters and traumatic events. Each state and territory has plans to deal with the health consequences of disasters. Included in these plans are arrangements that cover the mental health consequences of emergencies.

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Fact sheet

Psychological First Aid tip card

Emerging Minds

Psychological First Aid for children is an internationally accepted strategy that can be used anytime, but is most widely used in the first hours, days and weeks following a traumatic event. This tip card includes some practical ways that Psychological First Aid for children can be applied.
Guide

Psychological first aid for schools (PFA-S) field operations guide

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network

Provides guidance on responding to disaster, violence, or terrorism events using the Psychological First Aid intervention. This version gives school administrators, educators, and staff practical assistance to meet immediate needs and concerns, reduce distress, and foster adaptive coping in the wake of a disaster. The manual includes in-depth information about each of the eight core actions and accompanying handouts for administrators, school staff, educators, students, and parents and caregivers.
Short article

Individual and family factors associated with child mental health and wellbeing

Melissa Willoughby and Joanna Schwarzman, Australian Institute of Family Studies

This short article describes the research evidence on individual and family factors associated with child mental health and wellbeing.
Webinar

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Emerging Minds and Mental Health Professionals' Network (MHPN)

This webinar, co-produced by the Mental Health Professionals Network (MHPN), our panel of experts explore ways to support infants and children following a disaster.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This October 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Research summary

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Prepared by AIFS

This September 2024 research summary provides a selection of recently released papers, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses related to infant and child mental health. Each summary includes an introductory overview of the content for the month, followed by a list of selected articles. Each article is accompanied by a brief synopsis which presents the key messages and highlights. Links to abstracts, full-text articles and related resources, where available, are provided.
Practice paper

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Emerging Minds

Infants and children rely on the adults around them to meet their needs, keep them safe and help them to make sense of their world. This puts them at greater risk of adverse impacts when a disaster occurs. This practice paper introduces the foundational knowledge and skills needed to support children and families at all stages of a disaster (preparedness, response and recovery).
Practice paper

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Emerging Minds

This practice paper is designed to help you understand the importance of disaster preparedness for not only increasing safety and protecting lives when a disaster occurs, but facilitating the recovery of individuals, families and communities. It also offers practical advice for supporting the disaster preparedness of the children and families you work with.
Practice paper

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Emerging Minds

This practice paper aims to equip practitioners with knowledge about the ways disasters can influence a child’s ecology and the importance of targeted support for children’s resilience and recovery in the short and long term.
Practice paper

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

Emerging Minds

This practice paper explains why it’s important to consider pregnant people, infants, children and families in evacuation planning and management. It provides practical considerations and strategies for ensuring evacuation procedures and centres meet the needs of infants, children and families and enhance their safety, wellbeing and recovery.
Practice paper

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Emerging Minds

This paper is the first of two and introduces psychological first aid (PFA), a psychosocial support approach that can reduce distress and support the mental health of infants, children and families who have experienced a disaster.
Practice paper

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

Emerging Minds

Part two of two: This paper provides guidance to practitioners offering psychological first aid with infants, children and families in the context of a disaster.

Psychological first aid: Supporting people affected by disaster in Australia

Australian Red Cross and Australian Psychological Society, Australia, 2020

Discover more resources

Psychological First Aid tip card

Psychological first aid for schools (PFA-S) field operations guide

Individual and family factors associated with child mental health and wellbeing

A whole child approach to disaster recovery

Highlights in child mental health research: October 2024

Highlights in child mental health research: September 2024

Why we need to support infants and children before, during and after disasters

Disaster preparedness with a focus on infants, children and families

Understanding how disasters influence infants and children

Supporting infants, children and families in an evacuation

How psychological first aid can support infants, children and families who experience a disaster (part one)

Psychological first aid with infants and children: Practice guidance (part two)

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