With many humanitarians facing great stress while in the field,a psychologist offers advice on looking out for your mental health and wellbeingGuardian research suggests mental health crisis among aid workersHumanitarians provide a glimpse of the best of humanity in an often violent and distorted world. Yet despite their strength, studies propose they experience more mental health issues than the average individual. So what accounts for this disparity? And what can be done approximately it?The difficulty and risk faced by aid workers in the field are now well-known and many are simply experiencing normal reactions to these abnormal situations. Neuroscience research has helped us understand the consequences of continued exposure to toxic stress. Stress becomes toxic in situations that are novel and unexpected, and where we own little control,where available internal and external resources are limited, and where we experience harmful intent. Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com