This study examined if and how first responders in Nigeria provide Psychological First Aid to emergency victims. Key objectives include assessing first responders’ awareness of Psychological First Aid, determining their level of PFA training and level of PFA utilization with emergency treatment.

A descriptive cross-sectional survey that adopted a mixed-method approach was utilized. This study was carried out among first responders living in Lagos State, Nigeria. The quantitative aspect of the study consisted of 386 respondents. In contrast, for the qualitative study, 17 participants were selected using snowball sampling across various strata of first responders based on their diverse roles and experience in emergency response.

Findings from this study deduced that 59.6% of respondents were aware of, 27.2% were trained, and 38.3% practiced PFA. However, findings noted a significant difference in awareness based on education, as persons with tertiary education were 4.21 times more likely to be aware than those without (OR = 1.73-10.23). Qualitative findings revealed that respondents lacked access to opportunities to practice PFA due to the absence of protocols in their learning and practice environments.

This study highlights varying levels of awareness and training in Psychological First Aid (PFA) among respondents, indicating both opportunities and challenges in preparedness for emergency response. Strategies that promote PFA awareness among older age groups should be developed, and entry-level first responders should also receive PFA training.

Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a crucial intervention designed to mitigate the psychological impact of acute crises among individuals. PFA aims to equip health care providers with the necessary skills and knowledge to offer immediate psychosocial support, thereby reducing the potential for long-term mental health issues. This study assesses health care practitioners’ existing knowledge and skills in PFA.

We searched PubMed, Psych INFO, Web of Science, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases from April 1, 2023 to August 7, 2023, for studies published within 10 years that reported knowledge and skills of health care workers on PFA. A qualitative synthesis was performed on the selected studies.

Out of the 626 resulting studies, 12 were eligible. Self-efficacy was used to determine the effectiveness of psychological first-aid training. Passage of time had a significant impact on health care workers’ understanding of proper psychosocial responses. PFA training is effective in providing psychological assistance to health personnel. The longer-term effects of the PFA training program are unknown.

The findings highlight the effectiveness of PFA training in improving health care providers’ knowledge and skills, calling for ongoing efforts to address challenges, adapt training approaches, and ensure the continued improvement of psychosocial support in acute crises.

Metabolic and bariatric surgery (MBS) is safe and efficacious for adolescents with severe obesity. Pairing MBS with behavioral lifestyle interventions may be effective for optimizing treatment outcomes. However, no standardized program exists. Adolescent perspectives are critical to understanding how to design interventions to enhance engagement, sustain motivation, and meet informational needs for pre- and post-MBS self-management behaviors. The aim of this study was to develop an MBS lifestyle support intervention built on evidence-based content with input from adolescents and their families.

A mixed-methods design identified adolescent preferences for MBS lifestyle support. Data were collected from a racially and ethnically diverse sample of adolescents (N = 17, 76% females, 24% males 41.2% non-Hispanic Black, 41.2% Hispanic/Latino, 11.8% non-Hispanic White, 5.8% Other) and their mothers (N = 13, 38.4% Hispanic) recruited from an MBS clinic. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews assessed preferred types of pre-post MBS content, modality, frequency, and delivery platforms to inform the design of the intervention. Mixed methods data were triangulated to provide a comprehensive understanding of adolescent/parent preferences.

Adolescents prioritized eating well, managing stress, and maintaining motivation as desired support strategies. Parents identified parental support groups and nutrition guidance as priorities. Peer support and social media platforms were identified as key approaches for boosting motivation and engagement.

The patient voice is an important first step in understanding how, and whether behavioral lifestyle programs combined with MBS for weight management can be optimized. Adolescent preferences may enhance program fit and identify health behavior supports needed to sustain behavior change.

The aim was to evaluate the quality of clinic letters sent to GP following outpatient appointments by CAMHS Consultants. The audit was based on the guidance of the Royal College of psychiatrist on writing clinic letters .

Initial Audit was a retrospective audit of 40 randomly selected clinic letters sent to the GP following outpatient appointments in the previous 1 year between June 2021 and Janauary 2022. The Re-AUDIT was with 60 clinic letters sent to the GP following outpatient appointments between June 2022 and December 2022.

Information was then collected about whether the following were included in the letters;

inclusion of diagnosis with ICD code, current medication, indications for medications, allergies, physical measurements, mental state examination, risk assessment, care plan and useful links where relevant.

Overall changes were seen in quality of the GP letter in some specific areas, while some areas showed a decline or no significant changes

In including ICD 10 diagnosis to the GP letters, 100% of letters as compared to 80% in initial audit

Indications for medications were discussed/noted in 56.6% of letters when compared to 32.5% initial audit. Physical measurements were also well documented in 80% of letters. This increased from the previous 55%. Mental state examination and risk assessment also increased from 88.3% from 60%, and 86.6% from 70% respectively.

There was a drop in figures in including Current medication in letters.(100% to 90%) and also in copying patients /carers into letters(from 100% in previous audit to 86.6% in re-audit)

Little of no changes were seen in the quality of letters when observing useful links and allergies. The numbers were very low: allergy status infact dropped from 27.5% to 3.3%. Including useful links and resources in the GP letters only showed a growth from 7.5% to 13.3%.

• • Significance of allergy status and continuous reminder that allergy can start at any age in any service user. Drug interaction also important

• • Clearly stating all treatment including pharmacotherapy and psychological therapies

• • Continuous emphasis of indications for medications and psychoeducation including about commencing, stopping medications and side effects

• • QI project to bring together all useful links and make accessible to clinicians and patients