Transfer Actions and Training in First Psychological Aid: Relationship between Efectiveness and Urgent Decision Style

AZZOLLINI, S.C.

Tel Aviv

Conferencia; IPRED V, 5th Internacional Conference on Preparedness & Response to Emergencies & Disasters; 2018

IntroductionThe goal of this work is to present the results of a training of volunteers from organizations responsible for the response to catastrophe situations, based on a modified Psychological First Aid (PFA) protocol, starting from the premises of the Farchi?s original model (2012, 2013; Farchi & Hantman, 2013), known as the Six C?s Model. Consequently, we studied the relationship between the decision style and the effectiveness in decision-making in crisis situations.MethodsFive training sessions were carried out - 115 volunteers ? in fire stations with voluntary firemen of the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The impact of training on the effectiveness of the volunteers was evaluated by the number of correct answers on a software (SIPAPSI). The effectiveness of the trained group was compared with a non-trained group. The urgent decision-making style of the volunteers (affective or rational) was evaluated through the BUDECI, and the association of the previous variable with the number of correct answers was studied.ResultsThe comparison of the trained group with another non-trained showed the effectiveness of the training. A negative association was found between the urgent affective decision-making style and the number of correct answers only in the group that received the training in PFA.ConclusionsThe rescuers trained characterized by an urgent decision style based on the affect in crisis situations, showed less effectiveness in choosing the right response in the SIPAPSI. This result supports the Farchi?s model, in which the effectiveness of the action, precisely, lies in the cognitive functional activation avoiding any action that appeals or encourages the emotional aspect of the crisis.