What approach is used after a disaster to help individuals manage distress and support adaptive functioning, using modular steps?

• A. Crisis Counseling
• B. Debriefing
• C. Psychological First Aid
• D. Peer Support

Answer: (C)

Psychological First Aid uses a flexible, stepwise approach to reduce initial distress and support adaptive functioning after a disaster. It guides responders through modular actions that can be tailored to each person: ensure safety and comfort, listen and assess needs, provide practical assistance and accurate information, connect individuals to social supports and needed services, and normalize reactions while offering coping strategies. The modular design lets the response be adapted for different ages and settings and delivered by trained nonprofessionals, focusing on immediate needs without forcing trauma processing. This differs from debriefing, which lacks consistent evidence of benefit and can be harmful, and from broader “crisis counseling” or standalone peer support, which may not provide the structured, stepwise framework that PFA offers.