Psychology of emergencies in Spain: Conceptual delimitation, action areas, and healthcare system proposal

Abstract

Emergency psychology is a recent area of application for psychology, which means that there is currently no unified consensus on this discipline, its conceptual delimitation, or its field of action. Also not delimited are the curricular itineraries adapted to the European Higher Education Area, in either the healthcare or civil protection structures, in order for emergency psychologists to be able to intervene in crisis situations, emergencies, and disasters. In the present work, we offer a proposal for a psychological healthcare system that contributes to clarifying the work and competences of the different psychological services involved in these situations, in a way that facilitates a coordinated system of action. We intend to generate a professional and academic debate to lead us to reach the necessary consensus to make it possible to consolidate this specific professional profile, as well as to recognize and regulate emergency psychology in order to strengthen it as a discipline of psychology that allows us to offer a professional performance of quality, adapted to current and future challenges.