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Addressing Disparities in Psychological First Aid Awareness, Training, and Practice Among First Repsonders in Nigeria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2025

Oluwaseun Adebayo Adewunmi Open the ORCID record for Oluwaseun Adebayo Adewunmi [Opens in a new window] ,
Takeo Fujiwara ,
Nobutoshi Nawa ,
Yu Par Khin Open the ORCID record for Yu Par Khin [Opens in a new window] ,
Mojisola Celina Adewunmi  and
Eyitayo Adedamola Lawal
Oluwaseun Adebayo Adewunmi*
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, https://ror.org/05dqf9946 Institute of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Takeo Fujiwara
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, https://ror.org/05dqf9946 Institute of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Nobutoshi Nawa
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, https://ror.org/05dqf9946 Institute of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Yu Par Khin
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health, https://ror.org/05dqf9946 Institute of Science, Tokyo, Japan
Mojisola Celina Adewunmi
Affiliation:
Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, https://ror.org/05rk03822 University of Lagos, Nigeria
Eyitayo Adedamola Lawal
Affiliation:
Department of Health Promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, https://ror.org/03wx2rr30 University of Ibadan, Nigeria
*
Corresponding author: Oluwaseun Adebayo Adewunmi; Email: oluwasuenadewunmi21@gmail.com
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Abstract

Objectives

This study examined if and how first responders in Nigeria provide Psychological First Aid to emergency victims. Key objectives include assessing first responders’ awareness of Psychological First Aid, determining their level of PFA training and level of PFA utilization with emergency treatment.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional survey that adopted a mixed-method approach was utilized. This study was carried out among first responders living in Lagos State, Nigeria. The quantitative aspect of the study consisted of 386 respondents. In contrast, for the qualitative study, 17 participants were selected using snowball sampling across various strata of first responders based on their diverse roles and experience in emergency response.

Results

Findings from this study deduced that 59.6% of respondents were aware of, 27.2% were trained, and 38.3% practiced PFA. However, findings noted a significant difference in awareness based on education, as persons with tertiary education were 4.21 times more likely to be aware than those without (OR = 1.73-10.23). Qualitative findings revealed that respondents lacked access to opportunities to practice PFA due to the absence of protocols in their learning and practice environments.

Conclusions

This study highlights varying levels of awareness and training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) among respondents, indicating both opportunities and challenges in preparedness for emergency response. Strategies that promote PFA awareness among older age groups should be developed, and entry-level first responders should also receive PFA training.

Keywords

psychological first aidfirst respondersemergency victimsNigeria

Information

Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 19 , 2025 , e165
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc

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