Development of mental health first aid guidelines for panic attacks: a Delphi study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Mental Health First Aid
• Public Health

Background:

• Panic attacks are common and can lead to panic disorder and agoraphobia.
• Effective immediate assistance may reduce fear and prevent the onset of anxiety disorders.
• There is a lack of public knowledge and skills in assisting individuals during panic attacks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop simple first aid guidelines for assisting individuals experiencing panic attacks.
• To provide accessible information for the public to offer immediate support.

Main Methods:

• The Delphi method was employed with a panel of 50 professionals and 6 consumer advocates.
• Statements on assisting panic attack sufferers were gathered from professional and lay literature.
• Expert and consumer panels rated statement importance, with consistently endorsed items forming the guidelines.

Main Results:

• Out of 144 statements, 27 were accepted by the expert and consumer panels.
• These 27 statements formed the basis for the developed first aid guidelines.

Conclusions:

• Actionable guidelines for the public encountering panic attack situations have been established.
• These guidelines are valuable for mental health first aid training curricula.
• The guidelines offer immediate, practical information for public use during panic attacks.