Managing Mental Health Impact of Humanitarian Work

This chapter serves a dual purpose. It prepares GMH professionals to support the humanitarian aid workers and organize peer support. The materials also offer knowledge and skills that can be used for their own burnout management, self-awareness, and self-care. Responding to humanitarian emergencies can take a heavy psychological toll on humanitarian aid and MH responders. Exposure to mass trauma and suffering and making difficult moral decisions under duress may increase risk for the burnout. Resultant alterations in the perceived value of life may result in taking excessive risks and displaying unsafe behaviors. The rising rates of violence against aid workers underscore the safety imperative, which means prioritizing safety for self and people who receive services. Recognizing and managing cognitive aberrations, such as countertransference and professional fantasies (i.e., “rescuer,”; “superman,” and the “helper’s” fantasy), help to prevent or manage burnout. Self-awareness allows providers to timely recognize their own need for self-care and reach out for support during field work or after returning home. Readjustment back to routine life may be psychologically challenging and takes time. Stress of readjustment can worsen the MH and even result in the loss of relationships or the job. Being prepared can help manage stress and MH issues during the post-mission readjustment.