Psychological first aid training for Lebanese field workers in the emergency context of the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Abstract

The Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon required a fast and efficient comprehensive rescue strategy. Professionals working in emergency response were neither prepared to provide psychological first aid nor prepared to screen for mental health disorders in child refugees. This article examines the efficacy of a national training program in psychological first aid (PFA) to enhance the readiness of mental health field workers in the Syrian refugee response. Participant (N = 109) were recruited from Lebanese ministries and nongovernmental organizations. They received a 2.5-day training on PFA and on screening for mental health disorders in children. Their knowledge and perceived readiness were assessed before the training, immediately after the training, and 1 month after the training using 2 evaluation forms. Evaluation Form A was a multiple choice questionnaire composed of 20 questions and created on the basis of the content of the training, and Evaluation Form B was a Likert-type scale of 20 items created based on the core components of PFA. The data of 60 participants were analyzed. The results showed a significant increase in knowledge and readiness, specifically on the components related to the principles and techniques of PFA.

Psychological First Aid Training: A Scoping Review of Its Application, Outcomes and Implementation

“…Since the second and most current edition of the guide, published in 2006, several translations and system-specific adaptations of the PFA guide along with the training approaches had been developed and are available as open access resources [ 20 ]. The distribution of operation manuals for related groups (such as homeless, nursing home staff, medical reserve corps volunteers) had explicitly contributed to wide-spread application of PFA as a disaster intervention tool [ 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ].…”

Assessment of the health needs of Syrian refugees in Lebanon and Syria’s neighboring countries

“…The 2 studies from Jordan, emphasized on the need to train volunteers on basic skills for assessing and referring psychological problems [60] and the need to train health workers on proper identification and reporting of CVD risk scores [21]. The 2 studies conducted in Lebanon, underlined the need to train field workers on delivering appropriate psychological first aid [72], and the need to develop self-help and mental well-being training programs for field workers [73]. Finally, the 2 studies conducted in Syria underscored the need for higher-level training on advanced mental health skills that go beyond psychological first aid [67], and the need for training technicians on the proper operation of dialysis machines [69].…”

The Lebanese–Syrian crisis: impact of influx of Syrian refugees to an already weak state

“…5 Marriages within the family has led to an increase in the rates of abortions and child malformations. 17 Refugees’ health is worsening 15 with ~11% of the displaced Syrians exhibiting psychiatric symptoms, 20 specifically psychological scars of mischievous experiences of sexual and sex-based violence as well as physical assaults – frequently within the family – and emotional violence. While cases are broadly underreported, 25% of the reported incidents using protection mechanisms show that 87% of the identified and assisted were women and girls while 13% were men and boys.…”