Psychological First Aid as a Framework for Mental Health Promotion in Schools: a Literature Review

Abstrak

The increasing prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents highlights the urgent need for effective promotive and preventive interventions in schools. Psychological First Aid (PFA) offers a practical and evidence-informed framework for supporting students experiencing psychological distress while simultaneously promoting resilience and well-being. This literature review synthesizes findings from recent studies (2015–2025) that examine the integration of PFA into school-based mental health promotion initiatives. The analysis identifies four key themes: (1) the core components of PFA, safety, calmness, connectedness, self-efficacy, and hope as foundational principles for mental health support; (2) the role of teacher and peer training programs in strengthening knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy for early psychological intervention; (3) the integration of PFA with broader frameworks such as Mental Health Literacy (MHL) and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL); and (4) contextual challenges, including resource limitations and the need for rigorous program evaluation. Overall, the review demonstrates that PFA can effectively enhance the mental health capacity of school communities by equipping educators and peers with the competencies to provide immediate, compassionate support. Future studies are encouraged to develop culturally adapted, technology-assisted PFA training models to strengthen sustainable mental health promotion in educational contexts.