COVID-19: Psychological first aid


Organisation: Public Health England

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Psychological first aid is used for supporting people during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. This free course can teach you how to use it.


The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our mental health in many different ways, increasing our levels of stress, anxiety, anger and low moods. If you are a frontline employer who is worried about the impact this could be having on the wellbeing of your workforce, then psychological first aid (PFA) training might be useful.

PFA is used for supporting people during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers guidance on delivering psychosocial care in the immediate aftermath of the emergency event. On this course, hosted on the FutureLearn site, you’ll explore the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and what you can do to help people cope, as well as the key principles of giving psychological first aid in emergencies.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

  • understand what psychological first aid is,
  • identify for whom it is suited and how to help them,
  • identify how to better support yourself and peers in such crises, and
  • engage with further reading into psychosocial support during emergencies.

This course has been produced by Public Health England and is based on international guidance from the World Health Organisation, United Nations and partners. It is free to sign up, and can be started at any time.

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Organisation: Public Health England
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