Evaluation of system based Psychological First Aid training on the mental health proficiency of emergency medical first responders to natural disasters in China: a cluster randomised controlled trial
Publisher
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078750
Journal
BMJ Open
ISSN
2044-6055
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a system based psychological first aid (PFA) training programme for emergency medical first responders in China.
Design Parallel-group, assessor-blinded, cluster randomised controlled trial.
Setting 42 clusters of health workers from various health facilities in China.
Participants 1399 health workers who provide emergency service for survivors of disasters.
Interventions One-day system based PFA training programme (PFA) or training as usual (TAU).
Primary and secondary outcome measures The primary outcome was the PFA skills, knowledge and attitude (SKA-PFA) score at 2 months postintervention. Secondary outcomes included post-traumatic growth, self-efficacy and professional quality of life.
Results The intervention group (n=690) had significantly higher SKA-PFA scores than the control group (n=709) at 2 months postintervention (adjusted mean difference=4.44; 95% CI 1.17 to 7.52; p=0.007; Cohen’s d=0.35). The intervention group also had higher scores on post-traumatic growth (p=0.113, d=0.24), self-efficacy (p=0.032, d=0.20) and professional quality of life (p=0.281, d=0.04).
Conclusions The system based PFA training programme was more effective than the TAU in enhancing the PFA knowledge and skills of the emergency medica