Accessible Psychological First Aid (PFA) training for disaster preparedness: effects on coping strategies among deaf...

Deaf individuals are often disproportionately vulnerable during disasters due to communication barriers, limited access to early warning systems, and reduced inclusion in emergency response mechanisms. Strengthening psychosocial preparedness and coping capacities within Deaf communities is therefore critical for inclusive disaster risk reduction. Psychological First Aid (PFA) is a widely used approach in disaster and emergency contexts that aims to promote safety, emotional stabilization, and adaptive coping. However, limited empirical research has examined the effectiveness of accessible PFA interventions for Deaf populations. The present study examined the impact of an Indian Sign Language (ISL)-adapted PFA training on coping strategies among Deaf adults in India. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was employed with 102 participants (experimental n = 51; control n = 51) across two regions (Telangana and Delhi). Coping strategies were assessed using the Brief COPE and categorized into problem-focused, emotion-focused, and avoidant coping domains. Results indicated that participants in the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater increases in problem-focused and emotion-focused coping compared to the control group, while no significant differences were observed in avoidant coping. These findings suggest that accessible PFA training can enhance adaptive coping capacities that are critical for disaster preparedness and psychosocial resilience among Deaf individuals. The study underscores the importance of designing inclusive, linguistically accessible psychosocial interventions to strengthen disaster readiness and reduce vulnerability among Deaf communities.