Define Psychological First Aid (PFA) and describe its core steps and appropriate timing in disaster-affected populations.

• A. PFA provides immediate emotional support, safety, practical assistance, and coping strategies; steps: stabilize, safety planning, connect to social supports, provide information, link to services
• B. PFA is long-term psychotherapy requiring licensed clinicians
• C. PFA is solely for children
• D. PFA relies on pharmacological management only

Answer: (A)

Psychological First Aid is about giving immediate, non-intrusive support to people after a disaster to reduce acute distress and help them resume functioning. The focus is on safety, practical help, and social connections, not on treating mental illness or providing therapy. The steps listed—stabilizing immediate distress, safety planning, connecting to social supports, giving information, and linking to services—capture how PFA guides responders to address what people need right away: calm, reassurance, a sense of control, and access to resources.

Timing matters: PFA is an early response, delivered in the immediate aftermath or as soon as feasible, often by trained responders who are not necessarily mental health professionals. It helps bridge to longer-term support if needed, without assuming that formal therapy or medications are required upfront.

This approach isn’t long-term psychotherapy, isn’t limited to children, and isn’t a pharmacological intervention, which is why the described steps align most closely with how PFA is intended to function in disaster-affected populations.