Resilience in Humanitarian Aid Workers: Understanding Processes of Development

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS In this study, higher or lower levels of resilience in a group of humanitarian workers were found to be characterized by the interrelationship of three different groups of protective factors (dispositional, cognitive, and environmental), which influenced stress levels experienced on the job. Because resilience is a psychological construct that can be enhanced by adopting an approach facilitating technical and psychological preparedness, results of this investigation could be used to develop ad-hoc programs aimed at increasing resilience levels in aid workers about to be deployed on the field. It would be essential for these training strategies to take place in the framework of humanitarian organizations developing clear and comprehensive policies on the psychological health of their employees. In this context, training and development strategies could represent ways to facilitate and impose coherence and meaning on atypical and extreme phenomena, such as those experienced in the field (conflict, famine, epidemics, etc.). TECHNICAL ABSTRACT Background: Humanitarian aid workers face high levels of risk and adversity. Few investigations have been conducted on stress mechanisms and processes of resilience development in aid workers, though research in other professions, such as police and soldiers, indicate resilience promotes well-being. The study of these phenomena has been recognized, at an international level, as essential for the welfare of both the donors (the aid workers) and the receivers (the populations in need of being helped). Purpose: The objective of this study was to assess a conceptually based model of the interrelationship of three groups of protective factors (individual, cognitive, environmental) on resilience development in humanitarian aid workers deployed in the field. Methods: A mixed-method approach incorporating a longitudinal survey and qualitative interviews was used. Eleven scales designed to measure key protective/adverse factors were administered to 56 workers pre- and post-deployment. Scales measured resilience, work stress, coping skills, social support networks, general health, self-efficacy, and dispositional optimism/pessimism. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 workers to explore the interrelationship of protective factors. Results: Results indicated that the use of mental disengagement as a coping technique, age at which participants had left education, and the presence of social support networks significantly predicted changes in resilience over time. Dispositional and environmental protective factors interrelated and positively influenced the way workers perceived and coped with mission stressors. The coping strategy of mental disengagement was found to negatively influence changes in resilience via a direct pathway. Conclusions: The model partially accounted for mechanisms of resilience development, suggesting a direct relationship between work environment and individuals' emotional and psychological well-being. This understanding of how resilience is developed and maintained enables aid organizations to put in place appropriate training prior to and support during field missions.