As part of PAHO/WHO's technical support to the Honduran Ministry of Health, non-governmental organizations and responders to the Tropical Storms ETA/IOTA emergency, a series of virtual capacity building sessions on Psychological First Aid (PFA) were conducted to support the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) response to the emergency.
Six virtual sessions were conducted with the participation of 157 people (136 women and 21 men), mostly mental health and health professionals. The format of the sessions was a virtual self-learning course on PFA, as well as virtual sessions to share doubts, experiences, and practical cases; this format has been highly valued by the participants and by the technical staff of the health secretariat. In addition, all relevant materials on PFA and self-care strategies have been shared.
The cases consulted in the sessions were mainly related to the tropical storms and the accompaniment of vulnerable groups in shelters. Experiences on the COVID-19 pandemic were also shared, especially on how to deal with bereavement.
The need for self-care and team care by the institutions involved in the emergency response was repeatedly raised during the sessions. The need for PFA training for health professionals, who are often unfamiliar with PFA concept and do not identify themselves as potential PFA providers, was also expressed.
The sessions were very well rated by participants, with an average overall rating of 4.7 on a scale of 1 to 5. PAHO continues its technical cooperation to Honduras in the MHPSS response to the tropical storms, as well as to the COVID 19 pandemic.