CCC Psychological First Aid 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the primary goal of Psychological First Aid (PFA)?
- Provide immediate emotional debriefing sessions
- Reduce initial distress and foster adaptive functioning (Correct answer)
- Diagnose acute stress disorder in survivors
- Administer structured crisis counseling
Correct answer: Reduce initial distress and foster adaptive functioning
PFA aims to reduce initial distress and support short- and long-term adaptive functioning, not to diagnose or provide formal therapy.
Question 2: PFA is best characterized as which type of approach?
- A clinically standardized protocol requiring licensure
- A form of evidence-based psychotherapy
- An evidence-informed and flexible supportive model (Correct answer)
- A prescriptive step-by-step debriefing procedure
Correct answer: An evidence-informed and flexible supportive model
PFA is described as 'evidence-informed' because it is grounded in resilience research but is flexible in real-world application.
Question 3: Which of the following is NOT one of the eight core actions of PFA?
- Stabilization
- Practical Assistance
- Psychological Debriefing (Correct answer)
- Information Gathering
Correct answer: Psychological Debriefing
Psychological debriefing is not part of PFA; PFA specifically avoids requiring survivors to recount traumatic details.
Question 4: In PFA, the 'Contact and Engagement' action is best accomplished by:
- Introducing yourself and asking permission before speaking with the survivor (Correct answer)
- Immediately asking the survivor to describe the traumatic event
- Providing printed pamphlets about available mental health services
- Directing all survivors to emergency medical personnel first
Correct answer: Introducing yourself and asking permission before speaking with the survivor
Respectful, non-intrusive contact begins with a calm introduction and seeking permission, preserving survivor autonomy and trust.
Question 5: The 'Safety and Comfort' component of PFA is best addressed by:
- Encouraging survivors to describe their trauma narrative in full
- Providing accurate information about the situation and available help (Correct answer)
- Administering anxiolytic medication to calm distressed survivors
- Separating survivors from family members to reduce crowd stress
Correct answer: Providing accurate information about the situation and available help
Providing accurate information reduces uncertainty and restores a sense of safety and comfort in survivors.
Question 6: PFA is designed to be delivered during which timeframe following a traumatic event?
- 6 to 12 months post-event during scheduled follow-up visits
- Only within formal therapy sessions with a licensed clinician
- In the immediate aftermath and during the early recovery phase (Correct answer)
- Only after all medical treatment has been completed
Correct answer: In the immediate aftermath and during the early recovery phase
PFA is designed for the immediate aftermath and early recovery period, reflecting the 'first aid' concept of timely support.
Question 7: How does PFA differ from Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)?
- PFA requires survivors to recount events in detail while CISD does not
- PFA avoids forcing emotional processing while CISD requires structured retelling (Correct answer)
- PFA is restricted to mental health professionals while CISD is for chaplains
- PFA is always delivered in groups while CISD is conducted individually
Correct answer: PFA avoids forcing emotional processing while CISD requires structured retelling
PFA does not require survivors to narrate trauma, whereas CISD uses a structured group protocol involving emotional processing and retelling.
CCC Psychological First Aid 1
What is the primary goal of Psychological First Aid (PFA)?