Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention Advance Access originally published online on December 3, 2008
Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention 2008 8(4):313-326; doi:10.1093/brief-treatment/mhn019
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Practice Challenges in Using Psychological First Aid in a Group Format with Children: A Pilot Study
From the School of Social Work, Louisiana State University (Plummer, Cain, Fisher) and the Baton Rouge Children's Health Project, LSU Health Sciences/Department of Pediatrics (Bankston)
Contact authors: Daphne S. Cain and Carol A. Plummer, Louisiana State University, School of Social Work, 311 Huey P. Long Field House, Baton Rouge, LA 70803. E-mails: dscain{at}lsu.edu; plummerc{at}lsu.edu.
Using pilot data and practice experiences, this paper reports on an attempt at a controlled postdisaster intervention. The authors discuss use of Psychological First Aid (PFA) with children in a group format, focusing on the challenges inherent in responding to distress subsequent to a hurricane disaster. Difficulties in providing services in a timely manner are explored, and the value of PFA, even months and years after experiencing a natural disaster, is discussed. The pilot study included 27 African-American children aged 6–15 years, but due mostly to mobility, only 12 completed the entire set of six sessions and were included in the analysis. The small sample that resulted did not show positive gains with respect to reduction in trauma symptomatology but did show positive results in terms of participant satisfaction. Challenges in providing timely and relevant services included access to children, timing difficulties, multiple and ongoing sources of stress, and developmental considerations. Lessons learned are provided for others providing postdisaster services with children, as well as suggestions for subsequent research.
KEY WORDS: children and disaster, psychological first aid, group interventions