Fear and what to do with it

What is claimed and why

Every sentence in the video comes from these claims, checked against their sources.

1. According to WHO (2025 fact sheet), almost all people affected by emergencies experience psychological distress (anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, sleep issues, among others), which typically improves over time, although some people go on to develop a mental health condition. WHO's Psychological First Aid guide says that everyone is affected in some way by these events and that many people can feel very fearful or anxious. In Mexico, a civil protection leaflet from INAH says that fear is a normal reaction in dangerous situations; in the U.S., Ready.gov says it is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends. official guidance
   World Health Organization (WHO), Mental health in emergencies (fact sheet) — Key facts ¶1; Prevalence ¶1 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   World Health Organization (WHO), Mental health in emergencies (fact sheet, Spanish) — Datos y cifras ¶1; Prevalencia ¶1 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 2 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 2 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   INAH Civil Protection Office (Mexico), Family Civil Protection Plan (leaflet) — El miedo ¶1 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster — Understand Disaster Events ¶3

   It is normal to feel anxious about your own safety and that of your family and close friends.

   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster (Spanish) — Comprensión de los desastres ¶3

   Es normal estar preocupado por la propia seguridad y la de la familia y amigos cercanos.

2. In its mental health messages for the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak (2020), WHO advised minimizing watching, reading or listening to news that causes you to feel anxious or distressed, seeking information only from trusted sources and mainly so that you can take practical steps to protect yourself, and said that facts can help to minimize fears. official guidance
   WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak — p. 1; p. 1 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use (PAHO Spanish version), Mental health and psychosocial considerations during the COVID-19 outbreak (Spanish) — p. 2; p. 2 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
3. WHO's Psychological First Aid guide says that, according to various studies and the consensus of many crisis helpers, the factors that seem very helpful to people's long-term recovery after a serious crisis include feeling safe, connected to others, calm and hopeful; having access to social, physical and emotional support; and feeling able to help themselves, as individuals and communities. official guidance
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 4; p. 4 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 4; p. 4 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
4. Ready.gov (U.S.) says that preparation helps: when people feel prepared, they cope better, and so do children (the Spanish version says «when parents feel prepared, both they and their children cope better»). official guidanceUnited States
   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster — Use Support Networks ¶2

   Preparation helps; when people feel prepared, they cope better and so do children.

   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster (Spanish) — Use las redes de apoyo ¶2

   La preparación ayuda; cuando los padres se sienten preparados, tanto ellos como sus hijos sobrellevan mejor la situación.

5. Ready.gov (U.S.) says that one way to establish a sense of control and to build confidence in children before a disaster is to engage and involve them in preparing a family disaster plan, and advises encouraging children to help update the family disaster plan. official guidanceUnited States
   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster — Vulnerabilities in Children ¶2; Reassuring Children After a Disaster ¶10

   One way to establish a sense of control and to build confidence in children before a disaster is to engage and involve them in preparing a family disaster plan.

   Encourage your children to help update your a family disaster plan.

   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster (Spanish) — Vulnerabilidades de los niños ¶2

   Una forma de establecer un sentido de control y establecer confianza en los niños antes de una situación de desastre es hacerlos participar en la preparación del plan familiar para casos de desastre.

6. WHO's Psychological First Aid guide says that, in general, children cope better when they have a stable, calm adult around them. Among the things caregivers can do, it advises giving young children simple answers about what happened without scary details, and, for older children and adolescents, providing facts about what happened and listening to their thoughts and fears without being judgmental. Ready.gov (U.S.) also advises listening to children's concerns and answering young children simply. official guidance
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 31; p. 32; p. 33; p. 33 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 31; p. 32; p. 33; p. 33 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster — Meeting the Child’s Emotional Needs ¶1; Meeting the Child’s Emotional Needs ¶2

   listening to children’s concerns and answering questions

   If a young child is asking questions about the event, answer them simply

   Ready.gov (FEMA, U.S. Department of Homeland Security), Coping with Disaster (Spanish) — Cómo cubrir las necesidades emocionales de los niños ¶1; Cómo cubrir las necesidades emocionales de los niños ¶2

   escuche las preocupaciones de los niños y responda a sus preguntas

   Si un niño pequeño le hace preguntas sobre la situación, contéstele de forma sencilla

7. The Psychological First Aid (PFA) guide published by WHO (2011, with War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International) says that PFA is not something that only professionals can do and that it is not professional counselling. Its three basic action principles are look, listen and link. Among the themes PFA involves is listening to people without pressuring them to talk. official guidance
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 3; p. 3; p. 3; p. 18 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 3; p. 3; p. 3; p. 18 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
8. Among the techniques WHO's Psychological First Aid guide gives to help a very distressed person feel calm in mind and body are: keeping your tone of voice calm and soft; reminding the person that you are there to help and, if it is true, that they are safe; encouraging them to focus on their breathing and breathe slowly; and, if they feel unreal or disconnected from their surroundings, asking them to place and feel their feet on the floor. official guidance
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 23; p. 23; p. 23; p. 23; p. 23 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 23; p. 23; p. 23; p. 23 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
9. WHO's Psychological First Aid guide says there may be situations when someone needs much more advanced support than PFA alone, and asks you to know your limits and get help from others, such as medical personnel, local authorities, or community leaders. Among the people who need more immediate advanced support it lists people who are so upset that they cannot care for themselves or their children, and people who may hurt themselves or others. official guidance
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers — p. 5; p. 5; p. 5 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced
   WHO, War Trauma Foundation and World Vision International, Psychological first aid: Guide for field workers (Spanish) — p. 5; p. 5; p. 5 · consulted; copyrighted text, not reproduced