The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid
A Practical Approach to Helping Family, Friends, Coworkers, and Others Cope
Published on 17. March 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-1-4214-5383-5 (ISBN)
Description
A practical guide for how to offer compassionate, effective support during times of emotional crisis and acute distress.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid equips readers with the tools to respond effectively and compassionately to emotional crises-whether they unfold in a home, workplace, school, or public setting. Based on decades of research, experience, and real-world examples, George S. Everly, Jr, and Jeffrey M. Lating present a streamlined, accessible version of the Johns Hopkins RAPID model of psychological first aid, designed specifically for everyday use by adults without formal training in mental health.
This guide empowers people to step in when someone is struggling-to listen, stabilize apparent distress, and offer effective, meaningful support. Offering advice and practical coping techniques for a variety of situations-like helping a stranger in a moment of panic or responding to the grief of a friend-the scenarios and checklists throughout the book help readers navigate some of life's most difficult moments with clarity and care. This practical manual speaks to a world facing rising anxiety, loneliness, trauma, and loss by offering a simple, evidence-informed method for fostering resilience and restoring connection.
Everly and Lating emphasize that while no one can say the perfect thing in a crisis, everyone can learn how to offer compassion and help when it matters most. By making psychological first aid as accessible as physical first aid, this guide acts as an essential toolkit for being there when someone needs you most.
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid equips readers with the tools to respond effectively and compassionately to emotional crises-whether they unfold in a home, workplace, school, or public setting. Based on decades of research, experience, and real-world examples, George S. Everly, Jr, and Jeffrey M. Lating present a streamlined, accessible version of the Johns Hopkins RAPID model of psychological first aid, designed specifically for everyday use by adults without formal training in mental health.
This guide empowers people to step in when someone is struggling-to listen, stabilize apparent distress, and offer effective, meaningful support. Offering advice and practical coping techniques for a variety of situations-like helping a stranger in a moment of panic or responding to the grief of a friend-the scenarios and checklists throughout the book help readers navigate some of life's most difficult moments with clarity and care. This practical manual speaks to a world facing rising anxiety, loneliness, trauma, and loss by offering a simple, evidence-informed method for fostering resilience and restoring connection.
Everly and Lating emphasize that while no one can say the perfect thing in a crisis, everyone can learn how to offer compassion and help when it matters most. By making psychological first aid as accessible as physical first aid, this guide acts as an essential toolkit for being there when someone needs you most.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Baltimore, MD
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
5 s/w Abbildungen
5 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 140 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
489 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4214-5383-5 (9781421453835)
DOI
10.56021/9781421453828
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
George S. Everly | Jeffrey M. Lating
The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid
A Practical Approach to Helping Family, Friends, Coworkers, and Others Cope
Book
03/2026
Johns Hopkins University Press
€52.62
Shipment within 10-20 days
Persons
George S. Everly, Jr, has served on the faculties of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Harvard University. He is a former member of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health Preparedness. Jeffrey M. Lating is a professor of psychology at Loyola University Maryland. Everly and Lating are the coauthors of A Clinical Guide to the Treatment of the Human Stress Response and Personality-Guided Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Content
Part I. Read This Section First: Foundations of Psychological First Aid (PFA)
Welcome to The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA)
Chapter One. What Is Psychological First Aid?
Psychological First Aid Defined
Why Is Psychological First Aid Important?
History of Psychological First Aid
Caution
The Johns Hopkins Model of Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA)
Key Points
Chapter Two. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA) Step-by-Step
Tools for Physical First Aid
Tools for Everyday Psychological First Aid
A Simple E-PFA Model for Just About Anyone, Anywhere
Key Points
Chapter Three. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA), Up Close and Personal
Introduce Yourself, Offer to Help, Set Expectations, De-Escalate
Gather Information
Clarify and Distill
Provide Assistance
Make a Plan
Key Points
Chapter Four. The Power of Compassionate Communication
The Nuts and Bolts of Communication
Reflective Listening Techniques: Restatements and Paraphrasing
Key Points
Part II. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA) for Common Psychological Injuries and Crises: Structure and Limitations
Chapter Five. Depression
What Is Depression?
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms
Degrees of Depression
Prevalence of Depression
Types of Depression
Potential E-PFA Recommendations (Think About Trying This)
E-PFA Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This)
Six 84
Stress
What Is Stress? 85
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 86
Prevalence of Excessive Stress 89
Functional Categories of Stress Reactions 89
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 97
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 101
Seven 109
Fear Of . . .
What Is Fear? 110
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 110
Types of Fear 113
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 121
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 124
Eight 130
Anxiety
What Is Anxiety? 131
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 132
Prevalence of Anxiety 133
Types of Anxiety 134
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 136
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 140
Chapter Nine. Anger
What Is Anger?
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms
Prevalence of Anger
Negative Impacts of Anger
Welcome to The Johns Hopkins Guide to Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA)
Chapter One. What Is Psychological First Aid?
Psychological First Aid Defined
Why Is Psychological First Aid Important?
History of Psychological First Aid
Caution
The Johns Hopkins Model of Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA)
Key Points
Chapter Two. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA) Step-by-Step
Tools for Physical First Aid
Tools for Everyday Psychological First Aid
A Simple E-PFA Model for Just About Anyone, Anywhere
Key Points
Chapter Three. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA), Up Close and Personal
Introduce Yourself, Offer to Help, Set Expectations, De-Escalate
Gather Information
Clarify and Distill
Provide Assistance
Make a Plan
Key Points
Chapter Four. The Power of Compassionate Communication
The Nuts and Bolts of Communication
Reflective Listening Techniques: Restatements and Paraphrasing
Key Points
Part II. Everyday Psychological First Aid (E-PFA) for Common Psychological Injuries and Crises: Structure and Limitations
Chapter Five. Depression
What Is Depression?
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms
Degrees of Depression
Prevalence of Depression
Types of Depression
Potential E-PFA Recommendations (Think About Trying This)
E-PFA Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This)
Six 84
Stress
What Is Stress? 85
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 86
Prevalence of Excessive Stress 89
Functional Categories of Stress Reactions 89
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 97
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 101
Seven 109
Fear Of . . .
What Is Fear? 110
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 110
Types of Fear 113
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 121
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 124
Eight 130
Anxiety
What Is Anxiety? 131
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms 132
Prevalence of Anxiety 133
Types of Anxiety 134
Potential E-PFA
Recommendations (Think About
Trying This) 136
E-PFA
Dialogue (It Might Sound Like This) 140
Chapter Nine. Anger
What Is Anger?
Key Features: Signs and Symptoms
Prevalence of Anger
Negative Impacts of Anger