Group Psychological First Aid for Humanitarian Workers and Volunteers

Similar to other high-risk professional groups (e.g. military, emergency first responders) humanitarian workers are at an elevated risk of occupational trauma exposure and its associated psychological consequences. Humanitarian workers experience increased levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) compared to the general population. Moreover, younger humanitarian aid workers and volunteers are at an increased risk of experiencing burnout than their older counterparts. The consequences of a negatively affected health workforce are not only determinantal to humanitarian efforts and humanitarian organisations themselves, but also pose a risk to the efficacy and quality of humanitarian interventions.