Psychological First Aid in the Workplace: How to Support a Colleague in Distress
Quick answer
- Psychological First Aid gives colleagues and managers a practical framework, Notice, Approach, Listen, Support, Link, for responding to distress without becoming a therapist.
- WHO estimates depression and anxiety cost around 12 billion lost working days globally each year, this isn’t a fringe issue.
- PFA cannot fix an unhealthy workplace on its own, it sits inside a wider system of healthy work design and referral pathways.
- Start with the cornerstone PFA guide if you’re new to the framework.
A colleague receives devastating news during the working day.
A member of staff suddenly breaks down after weeks of pressure.
An employee returns to work after losing a parent.
A manager notices a previously engaged employee has become withdrawn, overwhelmed and unusually irritable.
What happens next? In many workplaces, the answer depends entirely on who happens to be nearby. One colleague says “be strong.” Another avoids the person, unsure what to say. A manager immediately asks what’s affecting their performance. HR may only become involved once attendance or productivity starts slipping.
There’s another possibility: a workplace where people understand how to recognise distress, respond humanely, respect boundaries and connect someone with appropriate support. That’s where Psychological First Aid in the workplace becomes useful. It doesn’t turn managers into therapists, doesn’t ask HR to diagnose, and doesn’t make colleagues responsible for solving one another’s problems. For workplaces in Kenya, this capability deserves far more attention.
Mental health is already in the workplace
We sometimes talk about workplace mental health as though employees leave their personal lives at the door. They don’t. People come to work grieving, after sleepless nights, dealing with relationship difficulties, illness, financial pressure and family crises. Some are living with depression, anxiety and other conditions. Others experience distress because of the workplace itself, excessive workloads, poor job control, discrimination, bullying, harassment, job insecurity and unsafe environments are all psychosocial risks WHO specifically identifies as risks to mental health.
The scale is significant. WHO estimates around 15% of working-age adults were living with a mental disorder in 2019, and globally, depression and anxiety are estimated to cost roughly 12 billion lost working days every year, about US$1 trillion annually in lost productivity.
Kenya has recognised this too. In 2023, the Ministry of Health launched the National Guidelines on Workplace Mental Wellness, estimating that approximately 3.7 million Kenyans out of a workforce of 24.9 million were experiencing mental health conditions. So workplace mental health isn’t an HR trend, it’s a health, leadership and organisational issue. But beneath the policies sits a practical question: what do we actually do when the person next to us is struggling? That’s where PFA helps.
What is Psychological First Aid?
WHO describes PFA as humane, supportive and practical assistance for people experiencing serious distress, intended to respect a person’s dignity, culture and abilities.
LOOK
What’s happened, is the person safe, any urgent needs or signs of serious distress?
LISTEN
Approach respectfully, ask what they need, don’t interrogate or rush into advice.
LINK
Family, HR, an employee assistance programme, a therapist, or emergency care.
PFA occupies the important space between doing nothing and trying to become someone’s therapist. For a fuller introduction, read our cornerstone guide, Psychological First Aid: The Everyday Life Skill We Cannot Afford to Ignore.
Your colleague doesn’t always need you to fix the problem
Imagine a colleague saying, “My mother has just been diagnosed with cancer. I don’t even know what to do.” The instinct might be “don’t worry, everything will be okay,” or “you have to stay positive,” or “my aunt had cancer too, let me tell you what happened,” which quietly shifts the conversation from them to you.
A PFA-informed response looks different: “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. What would be most helpful for you right now?” Perhaps they need someone to sit with them, or privacy, or to call home, or for their manager to know they can’t continue that afternoon. The first task isn’t to fix. It’s to understand what support is actually needed.
What distress can look like at work
It doesn’t always look like someone crying at their desk. Watch for unusual withdrawal, sudden irritability, difficulty concentrating, repeated unexplained absence, unusual mistakes, appearing overwhelmed, panic or intense fear, difficulty making simple decisions, emotional outbursts, or comments suggesting hopelessness.
None of these automatically proves a mental health condition. Poor performance doesn’t automatically mean depression. Irritability doesn’t automatically mean anxiety. A manager’s role isn’t to declare “you have depression,” it’s to think: “I’ve noticed something has changed. I should check in appropriately.”
A workplace response: Notice, Approach, Listen, Support, Link
Approach is not “James, you look depressed, what’s wrong with you?” in front of twelve colleagues. It’s “I’ve noticed you haven’t seemed yourself lately. How are you doing?” Support is often practical: time away from the workstation, water, privacy, calling someone, adjusting an immediate task. Link means knowing where your role ends, HR, a manager, occupational health, a counsellor, or urgent services, depending on the situation.
Five scenarios every workplace recognises
A colleague breaks down at work
Someone learns a family member has died and starts crying. Colleagues gather, one asks questions, another says “don’t cry,” someone starts making calls without asking what’s wanted. PFA asks for something different: reduce unnecessary attention, create privacy where possible, stay calm, and ask. “Would you like me to sit with you?” “Is there someone you’d like us to call?” Simple questions restore something distress temporarily takes away, choice and control.
A manager notices an employee struggling
A previously dependable employee starts arriving late, missing deadlines, looking exhausted. “Your performance is unacceptable, what’s going on?” is one option. A better opening: “I’ve noticed you’ve had a difficult few weeks and some deadlines have been affected. I wanted to check how you’re doing and whether there’s something we should discuss.” Accountability hasn’t disappeared, it just isn’t the opposite of humanity. WHO specifically recommends mental health training for managers to build this kind of open communication and active listening.
An employee experiences a panic episode
Racing heart, rapid breathing, fear, a crowd repeatedly asking “what’s wrong” can make it worse. Reduce stimulation, speak calmly, help them to a quieter space if appropriate, ask what they need. Don’t announce “you’re having a panic attack” unless qualified to say so. Support first, diagnose never.
A colleague is grieving
Bereavement doesn’t end when compassionate leave does. Concentration may fluctuate, some days will be harder than others. Instead of “you need to move on,” try “It’s good to have you back. How can we best support you as you settle back in?” Follow their needs rather than your preferred version of support.
Something traumatic happens at work
Healthcare workers, emergency responders, security teams, transport staff and others face higher exposure to potentially traumatic events. After an incident, organisations often correctly focus on physical safety and continuity, but psychological wellbeing needs attention too, ensuring safety, providing clear information, helping people contact loved ones, listening without forcing disclosure, and linking people with professional care where needed.
What to avoid saying
“Be strong.” · “At least…” · “Everything happens for a reason.”
“Don’t think about it.” · “Other people have it worse.” · “Just calm down.”
“You need to separate work from personal problems.” · “I know exactly how you feel.”
You don’t need a perfect sentence. Sometimes “I’m sorry, that sounds incredibly difficult” is enough to begin.
HR is not a therapy department
HR has an important role in workplace policies, accommodations, referral pathways and supportive systems, but HR professionals aren’t automatically clinicians. A manager is not a therapist. A wellness champion is not automatically a counsellor. A colleague is not a psychologist. Good PFA training increases people’s ability to help while also increasing their respect for professional boundaries, that’s a sign of good training, not a limitation of it.
Do not only teach people how to cope with an unhealthy workplace. Make the workplace healthier. PFA belongs inside that wider system, not as a replacement for it.
This is one of the most important points here: an organisation cannot tolerate unreasonable workloads, harassment and toxic management, then send employees for PFA training and call itself mentally healthy. WHO recommends organisational interventions that address working conditions directly, alongside manager training, worker mental health literacy, reasonable accommodations and access to care. Kenya’s National Guidelines on Workplace Mental Wellness echo the same balance, both employee action and employer responsibility.
What a mentally prepared workplace looks like
ORGANISATION A
Nobody knows what to do
The story spreads through WhatsApp groups
HR gets involved only once productivity declines
Nobody knows where to refer the employee
ORGANISATION B
Managers have basic mental health literacy
Confidentiality boundaries are clear
Employees know how to access professional support
Referral pathways already exist
The difficult situation hasn’t disappeared in Organisation B. But the response is organised, humane and safer. That’s preparedness.
Managers need a specific skill set
Managers influence workloads, control aspects of the working environment, and often notice changes in performance first. WHO specifically recommends manager training for mental health. A mentally prepared manager should know how to recognise possible distress, initiate an appropriate conversation, listen, protect privacy, understand their own boundaries, consider reasonable workplace support, avoid discriminatory responses, and connect an employee with appropriate care. This is leadership, not therapy.
What about confidentiality?
If an employee confides in a colleague, that shouldn’t automatically become office conversation. At the same time, nobody should promise absolute secrecy where there’s an immediate safety concern or a legal or safeguarding obligation. A useful principle: respect privacy, share only when necessary, through the appropriate pathway, according to policy and law.
When should professional help become the next step?
PFA is initial support, not treatment. Professional help may be appropriate when distress is persistent, worsening, significantly affecting functioning, linked to a possible mental health condition, or simply when the person wants it. Urgent concerns need a more urgent response. A poster saying “it’s okay not to be okay” isn’t enough, employees need to know exactly who they can actually speak to.
Online therapy can make workplace support easier to access
Traditional referrals sometimes create another obstacle: travel across town, appointments that clash with working hours, remote or travelling staff. Online therapy in Kenya removes much of that friction. Employees looking for online counselling, therapy services online, or a psychologist online can browse and book with a licensed Kenyan therapist privately, from a location they choose. PFA helps someone respond in the moment, therapy provides the ongoing pathway for someone who needs it, the two shouldn’t be confused, but they work well together as part of the same referral chain.
Workplace mental health as an ecosystem
Healthy work design — reduce preventable psychosocial risks
↓
Mental health literacy — employees understand mental health and stigma
↓
Manager capability — managers know how to recognise and respond
↓
Psychological First Aid — selected staff provide humane initial support
↓
Clear referral — employees know where professional help is available
↓
Professional care — qualified professionals provide assessment and therapy
↓
Accommodation & return to work — appropriate support to participate and thrive
That’s much closer to the comprehensive approach WHO recommends than an annual wellness talk.
Five questions every organisation should be able to answer
If someone experiences serious emotional distress at work tomorrow:
- Who responds first?
- Do they know what to do?
- What should remain confidential?
- Where can the employee access professional help?
- What happens after the immediate crisis?
If the answers are unclear, that’s a preparedness gap, and it’s an addressable one.
PFA is useful beyond the HR department
Depending on the organisation, PFA and mental health literacy can be relevant to managers and supervisors, HR teams, occupational health personnel, wellness champions, team leaders, frontline and customer-facing staff, security teams, healthcare workers, field teams, and humanitarian personnel. The exact model should depend on organisational risk, size, structure and workforce needs.
A quick PFA checklist for the workplace
- Notice — what’s happened, is there an immediate concern?
- Approach — speak respectfully and privately where possible
- Listen — don’t interrogate or force disclosure
- Stay with the person’s needs — not immediately about productivity
- Support — address practical immediate needs where possible
- Don’t diagnose — recognise the limits of your role
- Protect privacy — avoid turning distress into workplace gossip
- Link — connect them with appropriate support
- Escalate when necessary — follow procedures for safety concerns
- Follow up — support shouldn’t end when the immediate incident does
Awareness is not the same as capability
Mental health talks, wellness days, posters and webinars can all be valuable. But imagine an employee breaking down tomorrow morning. Does the manager know what to do? Does HR know where to refer them? Do colleagues know what not to say? Is professional support actually accessible? That’s the difference between awareness and capability. Awareness says “mental health matters at work.” Literacy asks “what might we be seeing?” PFA answers “how should we respond right now?” Professional care answers “what further support is needed?” And leadership must answer “what about our workplace itself needs to change?” We need all of them.
When a colleague is struggling, you don’t have to be their therapist. Notice. Listen. Support. Link.
Workplaces are made of people, and people will experience difficult things. The question isn’t whether distress will ever enter the workplace, it already does. The question is how we’ll respond when it does. A colleague doesn’t have to diagnose. A manager doesn’t have to counsel. HR doesn’t have to become a clinic. But someone can notice, approach, listen, and help connect that person with the support they need. That is what preparedness looks like.
Common questions
What is Psychological First Aid in the workplace?
Psychological First Aid is humane, supportive and practical initial assistance for someone experiencing serious distress. In a workplace, PFA principles can help appropriately trained staff respond calmly, understand immediate needs and connect a colleague with relevant support. It is not psychotherapy or diagnosis.
Can managers provide Psychological First Aid?
Managers can learn appropriate PFA and supportive communication skills, provided they understand their role and boundaries. WHO separately recommends mental health training for managers so they can recognise and respond to employees experiencing emotional distress.
Is Psychological First Aid the same as Mental Health First Aid?
They are related but distinct approaches. WHO’s PFA framework focuses particularly on humane, practical support for people affected by serious crisis events. Different Mental Health First Aid programmes may have broader curricula for recognising and responding to mental health problems.
Is PFA the same as counselling?
No. Psychological First Aid is not counselling or psychotherapy. A person trained in PFA should understand when their role ends and professional support is appropriate.
Why should employers invest in workplace mental health?
Mental health affects wellbeing, participation, retention and productivity. WHO estimates that depression and anxiety account for approximately 12 billion lost working days globally each year. Healthy workplaces also have responsibilities to manage psychosocial risks and create supportive working environments.
Does Kenya have workplace mental health guidelines?
Yes. Kenya’s Ministry of Health launched the National Guidelines on Workplace Mental Wellness in September 2023, emphasising mental health promotion, prevention, care, supportive work environments and links to care.
Who in an organisation should receive PFA training?
This depends on the workplace, but relevant groups may include managers, supervisors, HR personnel, wellness champions, occupational health teams, frontline workers, security personnel and employees with a likely first-response role.
Where can an employee find online therapy in Kenya?
Convo e-Therapy provides a directory of professional therapists offering online mental health support. Employees can review available therapists and choose a professional appropriate to their needs through the therapist directory.
Where can organisations access Psychological First Aid training in Kenya?
Convo Africa Academy provides Psychological First Aid training for individuals and can position PFA as part of organisational mental health capacity building for managers, HR teams, supervisors and other staff.
Where to go from here
How to support a colleague in distress
30 hours, self-paced, or ask about team training.
Start hereThe Complete Guide to Psychological First Aid
The cornerstone resource behind the Look, Listen, Link framework.
Online counselling in KenyaFind a licensed therapist
For employees who need more support than PFA can provide.
Related readingStress & Burnout Hub
Workplace exhaustion and how it differs from depression.
