TY - JOUR
T1 - Humanitarian Aid Workers
T2 - The Forgotten First Responders
AU - MacPherson, Robert I.S.
AU - Burkle, Frederick M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine.
PY - 2021/2
Y1 - 2021/2
N2 - Humanitarian aid workers are an overlooked population within the structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research and assistance. This negligence is an industry-wide failure to address aid workers' psychological health issues. The suspected numbers of death by suicide, diagnosed PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, hazardous alcohol and drug consumption, emotional exhaustion, and other stress-related problems are impossible to quantify but are considered endemic. Tools for establishing organizational frameworks for mental health and psychosocial support are readily available. However, the capacity to implement this assistance requires the creation and practice of an open and non-judgmental culture, based on the realistic acceptance that aid work has become inherently dangerous. The possibility of developing a psychological problem because of aid work has increased along with the rise in levels of disease, injury, kidnapping, and assault. As a result, expressions of traumatic stress have become the norm rather than an exception. This commentary outlines the essential steps and components necessary to meet these requirements.
AB - Humanitarian aid workers are an overlooked population within the structure of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) research and assistance. This negligence is an industry-wide failure to address aid workers' psychological health issues. The suspected numbers of death by suicide, diagnosed PTSD, depression, anxiety disorders, hazardous alcohol and drug consumption, emotional exhaustion, and other stress-related problems are impossible to quantify but are considered endemic. Tools for establishing organizational frameworks for mental health and psychosocial support are readily available. However, the capacity to implement this assistance requires the creation and practice of an open and non-judgmental culture, based on the realistic acceptance that aid work has become inherently dangerous. The possibility of developing a psychological problem because of aid work has increased along with the rise in levels of disease, injury, kidnapping, and assault. As a result, expressions of traumatic stress have become the norm rather than an exception. This commentary outlines the essential steps and components necessary to meet these requirements.
KW - humanitarian care
KW - mental health
KW - non-governmental agencies
KW - posttraumatic stress disorder
KW - war and conflict
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85100058449&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85100058449&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1017/S1049023X20001326
DO - 10.1017/S1049023X20001326
M3 - Article
C2 - 33138879
AN - SCOPUS:85100058449
SN - 1049-023X
VL - 36
SP - 111
EP - 114
JO - Prehospital and disaster medicine
JF - Prehospital and disaster medicine
IS - 1
ER -