Effects of psychological first aid training on teachers: a scoping review with a global perspective

The school environment presents significant challenges for teachers as first responders to children who experience psychological turmoil during traumatic events. As these challenges emanate, the need for effective Psychological First Aid (PFA) becomes crucial to lessen the short and long-term impact of trauma on both the learners and these teachers. Considering this, the study aimed to synthesize existing literature on PFA training of teachers across various global contexts and how the training influences their mental health, knowledge, and skills. We conducted a scoping review, purposefully sampling articles from global databases (PubMed, EBSCOhost, and ProQuest) and regional databases (Science Direct and Sabinet) using Boolean operators, truncations, and MeSH terms. This review included empirical studies conducted in English using the qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches from 2010 to 2023. Backward and forward search was performed on Google Scholar to gather more information. Findings revealed that PFA training improved teachers’ mental health knowledge, attitudes, and confidence, and reduced stigma toward psychological help behaviour. However, challenges such as limited time, emotional and physical exhaustion, lack of resources, and role ambiguity influenced the implementation of PFA. This review demonstrates an urgent to include PFA in professional teacher training to promote psychologically safe school environments. This review contributes new insights into the unresearched area of promoting mental health in places of learning through the understanding of the interactions between trauma responses and the mental health of teachers. It advances the understanding of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 3, 4, and 8 on creating good health and improving the quality of education and working environments. Further synthesis of the evidence through systematic reviews and empirical research is required.