Mojgan Shadbash is a licensed clinical psychologist and Staff Counselor with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Jordan. She explains how to manage the emotions that come from witnessing immense suffering and loss.
Humanitarian workers often witness suffering, violence, displacement, or loss, which can take an emotional toll, whether they experience directly these events, or they get exposed to distressing stories from survivors.
Both can lead to a condition known as “secondary traumatic stress”, where individuals internalize the pain of others. Repeated exposure can lead to anxiety, avoidance of negative memories and situations, and emotional exhaustion.
The emotional burden of witnessing suffering can also contribute to compassion fatigue, meaning you emotionally distance yourself from a situation as a defense mechanism.
Being immersed daily in a crisis environment keeps the brain in a constant fight-or-flight mode, where stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline remain elevated.
While this response is needed for short-term survival, long-term exposure – and excessive levels of cortisol and adrenaline - can impair memory, decision-making, and emotional regulation, in addition to impacts on our physical health.
A 2015 study found that 41 per cent of humanitarian workers reported feeling emotionally drained due to their work. Yet, despite the challenges, they continue their work, even at the risk of their mental health, driven by a sense of purpose and a strong desire to alleviate suffering which can serve as a protective factor.
However, neglecting proper self-care can result in serious negative consequences.
In a crisis, there is little time to process the intense experiences and emotions that arise. This is why professional psychosocial support is essential. So are strong peer support systems and normalizing conversations around mental health.
It is important to note that while international staff can leave high-intensity environments during their R&R breaks, national staff remain continuously embedded in a crisis, which perpetuates their exposure to stressors and heightens the risk of cumulative trauma.
That said, national staff may benefit from family and community connections, which can buffer stress.
Organizational support is vital to creating a culture that prioritizes mental well-being alongside mission success?because the two are not mutually exclusive.
