Abstract
PURPOSE: Everyday difficulties, but also new threats experienced by individuals and whole societies, are sources of stress that, due to their intensity, occurrence over time and in the absence of adequate support, can trigger crises and traumatic experiences. Examples of the latter are COVID-19 or military action in Europe, among other things, and the related wave of refugees who have sought refuge in many Western European countries since February 2022 in particular. This is why it is so important to cultivate resilience and the ability to cope effectively cope with stress not only at the individual level but also in entire social groups, and to nurture the resources not only of those already experiencing crises and mental health disorders, but also of entire populations. VIEWS: The BASIC Ph model devised by Prof. Mooli Lahad (2013) is a tool for effective crisis communication and thus building individual and social resilience. It has been successfully implemented for several decades in the process of educating individuals and social groups about stress and forming new, effective ways of coping with it, thereby building mental resilience in situations such as natural disasters, epidemics, wars, migration, and refugee crises. CONCLUSIONS: The article presents the application of the BASIC Ph model in the example of the refugee crisis and its use for people experiencing the trauma of war and forced migration, as well as citizens of host and migrant-supporting countries.