PFA Mobile

Background: Disasters are becoming more frequent due to the impact of extreme weather events attributed to climate change, causing loss of lives, property, and psychological trauma. Mental health response to disasters emphasizes prevention and mitigation, and mobile health (mHealth) apps have been used for mental health promotion and treatment. However, little is known about their use in the mental health components of disaster management. Objective: This scoping review was conducted to explore the use of mobile phone apps for mental health responses to natural disasters and to identify gaps in the literature. Methods: We identified relevant keywords and subject headings and conducted comprehensive searches in 6 electronic databases. Studies in which participants were exposed to a man-made disaster were included if the sample also included some participants exposed to a natural hazard. Only full-text studies published in English were included. The initial titles and abstracts of the unique papers were screened by 2 independent review authors. Full texts of the selected papers that met the inclusion criteria were reviewed by the 2 independent reviewers. Data were extracted from each selected full-text paper and synthesized using a narrative approach based on the outcome measures, duration, frequency of use of the mobile phone apps, and the outcomes. This scoping review was reported according to the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews). Results: Of the 1398 papers retrieved, 5 were included in this review. A total of 3 studies were conducted on participants exposed to psychological stress following a disaster while 2 were for disaster relief workers. The mobile phone apps for the interventions included Training for Life Skills, Sonoma Rises, Headspace, Psychological First Aid, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioural Health Disaster Response Apps. The different studies assessed the effectiveness or efficacy of the mobile app, feasibility, acceptability, and characteristics of app use or predictors of use. Different measures were used to assess the effectiveness of the apps' use as either the primary or secondary outcome. Conclusions: A limited number of studies are exploring the use of mobile phone apps for mental health responses to disasters. The 5 studies included in this review showed promising results. Mobile apps have the potential to provide effective mental health support before, during, and after disasters. However, further research is needed to explore the potential of mobile phone apps in mental health responses to all hazards.

Objective: The study aimed to examine the experience of disaster healthcare workers with simulation training using the Psychological First Aid (PFA) mobile app. Methods: This study was designed using qualitative research methodology with focus group interviews. The participants were 19 disaster healthcare workers from community mental health service centers who attended disaster simulation training in flood, fire, or leakage of hazardous chemicals. Before the simulation, participants were provided the PFA mobile app and allowed to practice the PFA techniques to apply them during the simulation. Data were collected through focus group interviews and qualitatively analyzed using the content analysis method. Results: The findings were divided into 6 categories: experience in realistic disaster situations, satisfaction with education methods using a mobile app, effectiveness of the PFA app in disaster relief, confidence in disaster relief by integrating experience and knowledge of the PFA app, self-reflection as a disaster healthcare worker, and identifying limitations and making developmental suggestions. Conclusions: Based on the participants' developmental proposals in this study, the disaster simulation training, incorporating improvements in the disaster simulation training and the PFA app features, will serve as a new framework for disaster support education and systematic mental health services to survivors by disaster healthcare workers.