Psychological Stress: how does it impact your staff?

20 January 2011

Aid workers and those who take jobs overseas are often faced with complex and stressful situations.

Research has shown that aid workers are more likely to suffer posttraumatic reactions than soldiers, despite being exposed to trauma for a shorter period of time. A very particular set of skills is required, therefore, in order to live and work effectively.

What the research says

Since the late nineties there have been a growing number of studies that show that psychological health and the capacity to cope are developed best when staff are offered consistent and relevant support, both before, during and after deployment.

The British Medical Journal’s ABC of conflict and disaster highlights the fact that feelings of misery and grief are inevitable consequences of catastophes and disasters and no one who encounters them will remain unchanged. Clinical evidence also suggests, however, that cumulative stress can lead to symptoms of exhaustion and burnout that can feel every bit as traumatizing.

And while trauma and breakdown are easy to spot, it can be much more difficult to identify and address the symptoms of slowly accumulating stress and pressure.

How does InterHealth fit in to this?

Whether in the aftermath of a critical incident or at the start of a long-term development project, managers and staff in front-line assignments need to understand both how to manage the stress they are under, as well as promote strategies for resilience and wellbeing.

InterHealth’s Global Resilience training workshops are designed to help managers, team leaders and workers develop insight and awareness about themselves and the challenges they face. Our engaging and interactive training events are also carefully tailored to help participants develop effective strategies and action plans that are relevant to their specific work contexts.

Our Team Dynamics & Conflict Management training looks specifically at the group dynamics that evolve in humanitarian settings, enabling managers to recognise what’s going on in their teams and to evaluate ways of dealing swiftly with crisis and conflict. Our Psychological First Aid training offers simple yet powerful strategies needed in the aftermath of traumatic incidents. It aims to help managers and team leaders recognise different psychological reactions, explore their own responses and help support colleagues and team members access their own coping skills. And Building Resilience Under Pressure helps equip managers to lead resilient and robust teams in environments of long-term stress and pressure.

Click here to read more about InterHealth’s experience and why you should use our training courses.

Sources

Hearns and Deeny, Disaster Management & Response (The Emergency Nurse Association, 2007)
Ian Palmer, ABC of conflict management, (BMJ, 2005)