22 May- As part of its weekly mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and COVID-19 webinar series, the Mental Health and Substance Use Unit organized a virtual seminar on adapting Psychological First Ad (PFA) to COVID-19. The webinar was hosted by Dr. Carmen Martinez, PAHO Subregional Mental Health Adviser for Central America and the Latin Caribbean, and Dr. Andrea Bruni, PAHO Subregional Mental Health Adviser for South America. 1,070 people attended.
Carmen Valle-Trabadelo, Senior MHPSS Advisor at the MHPSS Collaborative, presented on considerations for PFA during COVID-19. PFA involves providing humane, supportive and practical help to people suffering serious crisis events in ways that respect the safety, dignity and rights of the people being helped.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, PFA represents one intervention among a range of MHPSS interventions that should be implemented across different service levels. It can be a particularly useful tool for frontline workers, law enforcement, and managers and caretakers. Those who may benefit from PFA during COVID-19 include children, adolescents, adults and the elderly; those suffering from stress or anxiety; people who test positive for COVID-19 and their family members; those in quarantine or isolation; and people who are grieving the loss of someone due to COVID-19. Some considerations have been developed as an inter-agency effort to adapt PFA to the COVID-19 context However, it is important that people with more complex MHPSS needs be referred to appropriate professional care. Physical distancing measures may necessitate the delivery of PFA remotely, and it is crucial to avoid generating more stigma associated with COVID-19 by obtaining informed consent and protecting confidentiality.