Helping the helpers: Understanding, assessing, and treating humanitarian workers experiencing acute stress reactions

Where there is crisis or hardship, there are usually humanitarian workers. Hundreds of thousands strong, they are usually employed by one of the many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) currently operating worldwide. The diversity of roles that a humanitarian worker can undertake is staggering. Some work specifically in aid and disaster response. This can include famine relief, refugee aid, emergency relief after natural disasters, or the provision of primary health care services. Other humanitarian workers focus more generally on civil society and peace-building, human rights, education, advocacy, economics, governmental and election monitoring, arms-control and refugee, gender and/or children’s issues. All of these diverse roles and aims are linked by a common end – service in the face of crisis and suffering worldwide.

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Lisa McKay

McKay, L. (2006). Helping the helpers: Understanding, assessing, and treating humanitarian workers experiencing acute stress reactions. Pasadena, CA: Headington Institute