Evaluation of Psychological First Aid in Schools (PFA-S)
This study evaluates Psychological First Aid (PFA) training for school staff to enhance preparedness to support student mental health in disasters and critical incidents. A cluster randomised controlled trial will evaluate program implementation, effectiveness, and student perspectives.
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About
Disasters such as bushfires or floods can disrupt child and adolescent physical, social, emotional, and educational development, potentially leading to long-term consequences such as academic delays and persistent mental health challenges. Unfortunately, there is limited research on effective interventions to support school students’ wellbeing in disasters.
The NSW Department of Education (DoE) and the Australian National University (ANU) developed an evidence-informed Psychological First Aid in Schools (PFA-S) program to help school staff provide psychosocial support to students following disasters and reduce long-term psychological impacts.
This research has two key aims:
- To implement and evaluate the effectiveness of PFA-S in schools, and
- To explore school student perspectives on PFA-S and their needs for additional youth-focused disaster mental health support.
To evaluate PFA-S, we will conduct a cluster randomised controlled trial in 18 NSW public primary and secondary schools over three years (2026-2027). Schools (clusters) will be randomly selected to either receive PFA-S (the intervention group), or to wait 6 months to receive PFA-S (delayed intervention control group). Staff and student survey outcomes about PFA-S effectiveness will be compared between schools who have completed the PFA-S program and control schools.
To gain deeper insights into the strengths, challenges, and areas for improvement of PFA-S, we will also conduct semi-structured qualitative interviews with selected staff members who can provide valuable feedback on the program’s implementation.
To understand student needs for disaster-focused wellbeing support, we will survey students about their experiences of PFA-S support, and we will also conduct focus groups with primary and secondary school students.
This study will provide important evidence for an accessible, scalable school-based intervention to strengthen staff capacity to provide psychosocial support to students in disasters, promoting recovery and preventing long-term psychological impacts.
Information for participants
Participant Information Statements for families and staff will be available soon.
The ethical aspects of this research have been approved by the ANU Human Research Ethics Committee (Protocol 2025/0018). If you have any concerns or complaints about how this research has been conducted, please contact: Human.Ethics.Officer@anu.edu.au
If you are interested in accessing some general help and support for your child or teen, visit the following websites for further information, or see your GP:
kidshelpline.com.au
headspace.org.au
beyondblue.org.au/mental-health/youth
The Evaluation of Psychological First Aid in Schools (PFA-S) trial is led by the Australian National University in collaboration with researchers from University of New England, University of New South Wales, the NSW Department of Education, and Emerging Minds. This research is supported by the Medical Research Futures Fund – Emerging Priorities and Consumer Driven Research Initiative: 2023 Childhood Mental Health Research Grant (peer-reviewed; MRF2036034).
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Collaborator
Professor
Co-Head, CMHR
Professor
Co-Head, CMHR
Research Assistant
Associate Professor
Research Fellow