Pre-field conceptualizations of psychological first aid among disaster and emergency management students: A reflexive thematic analysis

Psychological First Aid is recognized as a fundamental early psychosocial intervention in disaster response. This study explored how undergraduate students enrolled in a Disaster and Emergency Management program conceptualize Psychological First Aid before field experience, focusing on their anticipated helping approaches, emotional and cognitive orientations, and emerging understandings of professional roles and identities. A qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis was conducted. Data in the form of open-ended questionnaires were collected from 32 students. Following reflexive thematic analysis, data were coded inductively and developed into four interpretive themes through an iterative analytic process. The analysis generated four themes: (1) Defining the Boundaries of Psychological Aid, (2) Ethical Orientation and Professional Identity, (3) Trauma-Informed and Compassionate Communication, and (4) Attributed Meanings of Helping and Anticipated Psychological Resilience. Students conceptualized Psychological First Aid as an ethically informed, relational, and emotionally demanding helping practice rather than a purely technical intervention.