Are Older Adults Prepared to Respond to Disasters? Psychological First Aid on Dignity-Related Distress, Social Frailty, and Psychological Resilience

Summary

The rapid increase in the global aging population has drawn attention to the unique challenges faced by institutionalized elders. These individuals often contend with various forms of psychosocial stress, including dignity-related distress, social frailty, and reduced psychological resilience. Dignity-related distress, characterized by feelings of worthlessness or loss of respect, significantly impacts mental health and quality of life among older adults, especially those in long-term care facilities. Similarly, social frailty-marked by diminished social networks and weakened interpersonal interactions-further exacerbates their vulnerability to loneliness and mental health disorders. Enhancing psychological resilience, or the capacity to adapt to adversity, is therefore critical to improving their overall well-being.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a structured intervention designed to provide immediate support and foster adaptive coping strategies during crises. While PFA has been widely implemented in disaster and emergency contexts, its application in addressing the psychosocial needs of institutionalized elders remains underexplored. Given its focus on promoting safety, comfort, and connectedness, PFA may hold potential for mitigating dignity-related distress, strengthening social bonds, and enhancing psychological resilience among this vulnerable population.

This study seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of PFA in alleviating dignity-related distress, reducing social frailty, and bolstering psychological resilience among institutionalized elders. By addressing these intertwined psychosocial factors, the research aims to contribute to the growing body of evidence on interventions tailored to the unique needs of older adults in care settings

Conditions

• Elderly
• Psychological Adaptation
• First Aid
• Stress
• Psychological Stress

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Psychological First Aid Intervention

Psychological first aid is a compassionate and supportive presence designed to mitigate acute distress and asses the need for continued mental health care. The intervention aims to enhance the compassionate presence, assist with needs and promote adaptive functioning. The intervention encompasses seven main themes (RAPID model, emotion stabilization, self-compassion, reframing, instillation of hope and empowerment) that will be covered through a series of five training exercises conducted on 6 sessions. Each session ranged in duration from 30 to 45 minutes. The program going along the RAPID PFA model, that represents a simple structure of (R for: establishing rapport and reflective listening, A: assessment, P: prioritization, I: intervention and D: disposition). The program going along the RAPID PFA model, that represents a simple structure of (R for: establishing rapport and reflective listening, A: assessment, P: prioritization, I: intervention and D: disposition). The

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Damanhour University

  collaborator OTHER

• Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University

  collaborator OTHER

• Alexandria University

  collaborator OTHER

• Cairo University

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

60 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-12-03

Primary Completion

2025-03-30

Completion

2025-03-30

Countries

• Egypt

Study Locations