Basic psychological support (BPS) in panic attacks and acute anxiety

By Cristiano Antonino On May 25, 2022

Basic psychological support (BPS) is a first aid protocol designed for occasional rescuers and consisting of a series of behaviours and manoeuvres aimed at the immediate management of a person with symptoms and signs of panic attacks and/or acute anxiety

The rescuer is not necessarily a doctor, psychologist or other health figure, but can be any citizen.

In order for intervention in the presence of a panic attack to be effective, the rescuer must in any case be able to understand the causes, main characteristics, and symptoms of panic attacks and acute anxiety, and therefore requires training, albeit basic, which we believe should be taught in schools.

Basic psychological support is NOT a medical, psychological or psychotherapeutic intervention

It takes the form of a sequence of simple actions with the function of providing initial help in an emergency to those suffering a panic or acute anxiety attack, while waiting for (and facilitating the possible intervention of) specialists and medical help.

Stages of basic psychological support

Basic psychological rescue consists of seven phases:

safety;
contact;
preliminary assessment;
assessment;
intervention;
reassessment;
resolution.

Basic psychological Support Considerations

For many years, throughout the world, basic life support (BLS) has been considered the most common intervention protocol, thanks to which deaths and injuries caused by cardiorespiratory arrest have been significantly reduced.

The success of this first aid technique, in terms of outcomes and dissemination, is attributable to the simplicity of the intervention and the fact that anyone, including untrained individuals, can learn and use it.

The principle that any human being can, essentially, save the life of another human being was a true revolution, not only in the medical field, but also from a social point of view, yet historically the same revolution has not taken place in the field of psychological well-being.

Panic attack and acute anxiety, the role of Basic Psychological Support (BPS)

According to the World Health Organisation, mental pain is a worrying health emergency, showing impressive and steadily increasing figures.

Panic attacks, in particular, are an increasingly common phenomenon in the population: providing basic first aid to a person experiencing a panic attack in its acute phase is certainly an important action, however, without adequate training, the help provided may be ineffective or even counterproductive.

This is why the BPS was designed, as an intervention protocol for rescuers based on scientific evidence and consisting of simple procedures and behaviours aimed at the early management of panic attacks and acute anxiety, pending specialist rescue operations.

A protocol designed for everyone, easy to learn and easy to use that aims to provide people with some simple skills that have a strong social impact and represent a real innovation in the field of international psychology.

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