Psychological first aid helps save lives. Every household and building should have someone trained in it

After the alleged murder at River Valley High School, more than 500 students and staff sought help at a post set up at the school to offer psychological help.

It is important to provide psychological first aid after a crisis. It is so important that the World Health Organization (WHO) made it the theme of World Mental Health Day in 2016.

WHO describes psychological first aid as an approach to help people recover from crises by responding to their basic needs and showing them concern and care, in a way that respects their wishes, culture, dignity and capabilities. 

For example, humanitarian organisations gave psychological first aid to the survivors of the Nepal earthquake in 2015 that killed nearly 9,000 people.

Immediately after a crisis, those best placed to assist before professional help arrives are often family members, neighbours, friends, grassroots leaders and colleagues. 

This is not unlike members of the community providing first aid before medical responders arrive.

Singapore has progressed well in preparing the community to deal with medical emergencies. Many citizens have been trained in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of an automated external defibrillator (AED). 

The time is ripe for Singapore to focus on getting more people trained in psychological first aid. 

Similar to the Singapore Resuscitation and First Aid Council’s vision for every Singaporean to be able to perform CPR and first aid, Singapore should aim to have at least one person from every household, workplace and building trained in psychological first aid. 

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) conducts free emergency preparedness training in first aid, CPR, AED and firefighting as part of its Community Emergency Preparedness Programme. The programme should be expanded to include psychological first aid to encourage more households, and eventually all households, to pick up the skill.

Under the Fire Safety Act, premises with fire safety managers must set up a company emergency response team (Cert). The team should include at least four members trained in first aid. 

SCDF can look into mandating psychological first aid as part of the Cert First Aid Course syllabus taught by approved training providers.

The Workplace Safety and Health (First-Aid) Regulations mandate that where more than 25 persons are employed, first-aiders shall be appointed at the ratio of one first-aider to every 100 persons employed. 

Singapore can expand on this framework to include the mandatory provision of employees trained in psychological first aid. 

To help employers and building owners cope with the extra costs, the Government should provide heavy subsidies during the initial years after regulations are amended.

Singapore’s National Life Saving Day has focused primarily on the learning of CPR and AED skills. Psychological first aid is also a life-saving skill and should be a focus of future National Life Saving Days.

Encouraging more people to learn skills such as psychological first aid will make Singapore a more resilient society that can bounce back more quickly after a crisis.

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