Feasibility and acceptability of a culturally adapted psychological first aid training intervention (Preparing Me) to support the mental health and well-being of front-line healthcare workers in China: a feasibility randomized controlled trial.

Psychological first aid (PFA) training helps to prepare healthcare workers (HCWs) to manage trauma and stress during healthcare emergencies, yet evidence regarding its effectiveness and implementation is lacking. A two-arm feasibility randomized controlled trial design was conducted in a Chinese tertiary hospital. Participants were randomly allocated to receive either a culturally adapted PFA training (the intervention arm) or psychoeducation (the control arm). Feasibility indicators and selected outcomes were collected. In total, 215 workers who expressed an interest in participating in the trial were screened for eligibility, resulting in 96 eligible participants being randomly allocated to the intervention arm ( = 48) and control arm ( = 48). There was a higher retention rate for the face-to-face PFA training session than for the four online group PFA sessions. Participants rated the PFA training as very helpful (86%), with a satisfaction rate of 74.25%, and 47% reported being able to apply their PFA skills in responding to public health emergencies or providing front-line clinical care. Positive outcome changes were observed in PFA knowledge, skills, attitudes, resilience, self-efficacy, compassion satisfaction, and post-traumatic growth. Their scores on depression, anxiety, stress, and burnout measures all declined. Most of these changes were sustained over 3 months ( < .05). Repeated measures analysis of variance found statistically significant interaction effects on depression ( = 2.874,  = .046,  = .031) and burnout ( = 3.729,  = .018,  = .037), indicating a greater reduction in symptoms of depression and burnout with PFA compared to psychoeducation training. This culturally adapted PFA training intervention was highly acceptable among Chinese HCWs and was feasible in a front-line care setting. Preliminary findings indicated positive changes for the PFA training intervention on knowledge, skills, attitudes, resilience, self-efficacy, compassion satisfaction, and post-traumatic growth, especially a reduction of depression and burnout. Further modifications are recommended and a fully powered evaluation of PFA training is warranted.