Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-based method for reducing stress symptoms and assisting patients to realize healthy recovery following a traumatic event. PFA has its foundation on human resilience, which ensures long-term recovery. The main goal of PFA is to create and sustain an environment of calm, comfort, safety, connectedness, self-empowerment, and hope. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental problem that calls for professional support. Untreated PTSD can cause long-term physical and mental difficulties that undermine overall quality of life. There exist multiple treatment methods, including PFA, for effectively managing PTSD. However, it remains unclear whether PFA is a suitable method to achieve desirable and sustainable outcomes as an immediate disaster response intervention for PTSD patients. Although some say that PFA is not ideal due to its overall cost, evidence shows that it is effective in managing PTSD because it leads to mental resilience through improved mood and an experience of safety, connectedness, and a sense of control, while its affordability and accessibility solve the negatives of the first view in low-resource settings.
Some people disregard PFA opponents because of the associated high costs, inaccessibility, and possible stigma. According to Shah et al. (2020), PFA intervention enhances the scoping of patients through the sharing of the correct information, comforting emotional support, and preventing the onset of PTSD (p. 2). These strategies effectively ensure that professionals and patients collaborate in establishing a lasting solution to the underlying condition. Implementing PFA is costly in practice as it involves extensive training and evidence gathering to achieve desirable findings. Wang et al. (2021) give an example where PFA application in managing psychological problems during Covid-19 required extensive training to empower frontline workers (p. 1). Healthcare professionals need extensive training on how to apply PFA in specific traumatic situations. From a practical perspective, an effective PFA application involves an initial training cost. Wang et al. (2021) found research articles detailing concerns about comfort or stigma as barriers to practical psychological support (p. 9). This observation suggests that patients may experience treatment-related stigma when undergoing PFA. Such experiences will likely hinder patients from realizing the intended benefits of the PFA intervention methods. Thus, some people reject PFA based on high costs that make the intervention inaccessible to ordinary citizens and the possibility of stigma as essential factors that make it ineffective in addressing PTSD.
However, the concerns of those who oppose PFA are invalid because PFA is an affordable and accessible method that allows patients to minimize treatment-related stigma. According to Wang et al. (2021), PFA training delivered in response to the Ebola outbreak revealed a wide acceptance by non-specialists and was cost-effective in low-resource settings (p. 16). These outcomes imply that professionals can collaborate with patients to implement cost-effective PFA and realize the intended goals. From a practical perspective, the expenses associated with PFA implementation depend on available resources and patient needs. There exists evidence showing an increase in confidence levels among patients and professionals in PFA interventions (Wang et al., 2021, p. 9). The collaboration between the patients and their caregivers can minimize the risk of treatment-related stigma. Patients who undergo PFA are likely to become more comfortable with the PFA compared to other intervention methods that deny them an opportunity to collaborate with their caregivers. Wang et al. (2021) found only one research article highlighting stigma and fear as a significant barrier to practical PFA application (p. 9). This evidence is not adequate to conclude that PFA is not a suitable method for managing psychological problems due to possible concerns of causing stigma. Thus, the concerns raised by the opponents disregard the available evidence showing that PFA is an affordable intervention method that minimizes stigma among patients and caregivers.
PTSD patients may develop long-term mental and inflammation problems that can inhibit their capabilities to execute daily life activities. According to Weber et al., 2021, untreated PTSD following a tragic event is a leading cause of long-term comorbid depressive symptoms (p. 1427). This observation implies that untreated PTSD leads to long-term undesirable mental outcomes. PTSD patients require professional support to regain their cognitive and psychological abilities. In addition, failure to have effective PTSD treatment increases the risk of having long-term undesirable physical health outcomes, like cardiovascular disorders (CVD), including coronary heart disease (CHD), hypertension, and stroke (Krantz et al., 2021, p. 4). In practice, the absence of effective PTSD treatments increases the risk of developing additional physical health problems that undermine the overall quality of life among the patients. Patients with a high PTSD risk need customized treatments that can address their unique needs and avert the possibility of complex physical health problems. Krantz et al. (2021) further note that untreated PTSD leads to obesity because of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes (p. 5). PTSD patients are likely to gain excessive body weight and related health problems. The treatment options available for PTSD patients should deter the onset of complex physical health problems that can worsen the expected outcomes. Therefore, PTSD patients experience complex physical health problems, which justifies the need to have an effective treatment method to achieve long-term health benefits.
PFA is an effective method for achieving mental resilience among PTSD patients because they experience improved mood and reduced anxiety levels. Wang et al. (2024) presented research findings from five trials that measured PTSD symptoms, which justified that patients treated with PFA achieved better psychological health outcomes than those who underwent psychoeducation for one month (p. 10). These findings explain that PFA is a superior mental support method compared to other non-pharmacological interventions. Patients treated using PFA have a higher chance of long-term mental resilience following traumatic experiences. In addition, findings from eight studies that evaluated anxiety revealed that PFA is an effective method in minimizing nervousness levels following a traumatic experience compared to other interventions (Wang et al., 2024, p. 10). High anxiety levels may hinder PTSD patients from taking behavioral initiatives that can improve their overall life quality of life. PFA is a crucial method in ensuring that patients gain the self-confidence required to manage their emotional distress and regain their health. Hence, PFA is a reliable method for ensuring that PTSD patients manage their mood and anxiety levels, which are necessary for full recovery.
Existing evidence reveals that patients who undergo PFA gain adequate knowledge and understanding of how they respond to traumatic events. Effective implementation of PFA enhances patient’s knowledge and understanding of suitable psychosocial responses to traumatic events and effective self-care methods in stressful contexts (Wang et al., 2021, p. 15). This increased awareness of how one responds to trauma enables patients to become self-reliant during the recovery journey. Patients can use the acquired knowledge to develop tailored intervention programs that align with their core needs. Wang et al. (2021) observed that PFA increased trainees’ knowledge and understanding of the appropriate psychosocial reactions to distressing situations (p. 15). Mental health professionals require adequate training to implement the PFA method effectively among PTSD patients. This requirement is central to ensuring that these professionals provide evidence-based support to patients to ensure desirable health outcomes. Therefore, PFA is an effective method in managing PTSD due to increased knowledge and understanding among the patients and health professionals, which increases the possibility of success.
PFA is a suitable intervention method because it allows PTSD patients to experience psychological safety, connectedness, and a sense of self-control during the treatment period. For instance, PFA is a reliable treatment method that allows PTSD patients to benefit from direct psychological counseling in managing stress and dealing with challenging experiences that hinder patients from realizing psychological safety (Chakraverty & Gupta, 2022, p. 12). PTSD patients who undergo PFA gain mental resilience and collaborate with peers and professionals to learn effective ways to manage their mental condition. Such outcomes are inappropriate in ensuring that each patient receives the necessary support in a safe and comfortable environment. For instance, PFA interventions promote hope, self- and collective efficacy, social connectedness, safety, and calmness (Korndörffer et al., 2022, p. 807). These aspects of the PFA interventions are practical in ensuring that patients realize sustainable mental health outcomes irrespective of their traumatic experiences. PFA professionals have adequate skills to address patients’ medical and physical needs to reduce acute distress and facilitate emotional and behavioral recovery (Shah et al., 2020, p. 3). This intervention is instrumental in enabling the survivors to regain the self-control that they require to moderate their anxiety. In practice, psychological safety, collaboration, and self-confidence are essential outcomes that allow PTSD patients to handle future traumatic experiences without increasing the risk of developing undesirable psychological outcomes.
In conclusion, PTSD patients require adequate and effective psychological support to minimize the risk of developing long-term mental health outcomes that undermine their overall health. The available evidence shows that PFA stands out as a reliable intervention method that allows patients to improve their emotions and realize desirable mental resilience following PTSD. People who undergo PFA treatments benefit from psychological counseling, enhanced social connectedness with professionals, and enhanced self-control in managing undesirable emotions associated with traumatic events. In addition, PFA is a desirable intervention method that enables patients to manage and cope with traumatic experiences that lead to prolonged mental problems. However, opponents to PFA cite the high cost that makes this intervention inaccessible to many patients and increases stigma among patients and caregivers. However, such views tend to overlook the available evidence showing that PFA is an affordable intervention in low-resource settings and ensures effective collaboration among the patients and caregivers, which minimizes treatment-related stigma and anxiety. The available evidence reveals that PFA is a reliable method for achieving long-term health benefits among PTSD patients.
References
Chakraverty, S., & Gupta, D. (2022). As a pandemic strikes: A study on the impact of mental stress, emotion drifts and activities on community emotional well-being. Measurement, 204, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2022.112121
Korndörffer, L., White, C., & Mackelprang, J. L. (2022). Psychological first aid principles within a community‐led, arts initiative: Lessons from the Blacksmiths’ Tree. Disasters, 47(3), 806–829. https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12564
Krantz, D. S., Shank, L. M., & Goodie, J. L. (2021). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as a systemic disorder: Pathways to cardiovascular disease. Health Psychology, 41(10), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001127
Shah, K., Bedi, S., Onyeaka, H., Singh, R., & Chaudhari, G. (2020). The role of psychological first aid to support public mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic. Cureus, 12(6), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.8821
Wang, L., Norman, I., Edleston, V., Oyo, C., & Leamy, M. (2024). The effectiveness and implementation of psychological first aid as a therapeutic intervention after trauma: An integrative review. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1177/15248380231221492
Wang, L., Norman, I., Xiao, T., Li, Y., & Leamy, M. (2021). Psychological first aid training: A scoping review of its application, outcomes, and implementation. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094594
Weber, M., Schumacher, S., Hannig, W., Barth, J., Lotzin, A., Schäfer, I., Ehring, T., & Kleim, B. (2021). Long-term outcomes of psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(16), 1420–1430. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291721003214
Reflection
Example of Rhetorical Appeals
I have used logos throughout the essay to convey the information cited from credible research articles. For instance, I used the phrase “According to” when referring to evidence presented by specific authors to support my justifications, which reveals adequate knowledge about the sources used in the essay. In addition, I used ethos to show the credibility of the evidence presented by Wang et al. (2021), which improves the overall quality of my essay.
Helpful Feedback
Feedback on the relevance and strength of my arguments, essay structure, and ideas flow. This feedback will be crucial in ensuring that I understand the nature and quality of the evidence I used to respond to the research question. Besides, feedback on the quality of my thesis will be instrumental in allowing me to understand how to formulate strong arguments and expound them in an essay. I am apprehensive about my refutation to counterargument, which implies that I may require more guidance on developing compelling argumentative essays.
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