Stress and a humanitarian career • Stress and trauma • Symptoms of traumatic stress
What to do after a traumatic event • Managing cumulative stress • Links and resources

Stress and a Humanitarian Career

Humanitarian work is an enriching and exciting career choice. It has:

• Moral appeal: It is usually service work for worthy causes.
• Personal appeal: Working internationally and being exposed to different cultures stretches and challenges individuals to grow.
• Adventurous appeal: Humanitarian workers often work in the midst of extreme and challenging situations.

Facing the challenges of working in the humanitarian field can be stimulating and richly rewarding, both personally and professionally.

However, with rich rewards can come some personal costs that result from living and working in the middle of disastrous, violent situations and facing challenges that often seem overwhelming. Some of the pressures associated with humanitarian work include:

• Threat and violence: Whether it is the result of natural disaster, civil conflict, or increased domestic crime, many humanitarian workers witness violence and its aftereffects, or are exposed to stories of personal tragedy.
• Social dislocation: Many humanitarian workers experience separation from their social support networks, their friends and family.
• Cultural dislocation: Living and working in another country often means that some new rules for communicating politely and effectively must be learned.
• Spiritual dislocation: This can occur as a result of separation from familiar religious frameworks, as well as exposure to radically different views about spirituality and religion. Exposure to traumatic events also has the potential to challenge and alter a humanitarian worker’s religious beliefs.
• Poverty and deprivation: Humanitarian workers often live and work in the midst of extreme poverty and its associated suffering. This can lead to feelings of being overwhelmed and without enough resources available to combat the problems.
• Moral dilemmas: Humanitarian work may involve facing moral dilemmas such as negotiating with warlords, concern over the fact that aid may be prolonging a conflict, or witnessing human rights violations but being unable to respond due to operational considerations.
• The work environment: Common work stressors include: interpersonal and culturally-based conflict among team members who are forced into prolonged closeness and interdependence; role ambiguity; lack of appropriate resources, personnel, time, logistical support, or skills to do the job expected; and heavy workload and long hours.

Stress and a humanitarian career • Stress and trauma • Symptoms of traumatic stress
What to do after a traumatic event • Managing cumulative stress • Links and resources