Relief Groups Seek Workers With Language Skills, Overseas Experience, and a High Tolerance for Chaos, Chronicle of Philanthropy
This article takes a realistic look at why people want to do relief work, what it takes to do the job, and what type of person the agencies are looking for. Does the applicant have "experience," and what does that mean? Is the applicant resilient and how does one screen for that?

Addressing Cumulative Stress in Your Population, Rensia Melles
Melles offers a deeper look into the type cumulative stress that field workers often experience. Her discussion includes the impact of stress on field workers' lives, distinct ways that different cultures cope with cumulative stress, and how managers can recognize the symptoms and help.

Stress and Trauma Handbook, World Vision
This link provides a review and option to purchase John Fawcett's "Stress and Trauma Handbook." The book addresses how stress impacts human functioning, the signs of burn-out, and steps that can be taken to reduce the effect of stress and strain. Using real stories, a series of check-lists, stress indicators, and burn-out monitors, this book aims to help aid-workers track their well being. The focus is on finding a way to grow and thrive in these circumstances while continuing to work, build strong relationships and be proactive in life.

Insights into the Concept of Stress, Pan American Health Organization
If you're interested in a more interactive approach to understanding stress, check out these two resources. Insights into the Concept of Stress is a workbook that walks the reader through a course aimed at helping managers and aid workers identify and understand stress. Stress Management in Disasters is a terrific accompanying workbook which focuses on dealing with stress in disasters and traumatic situations. There is information on both critical incident stress and cumulative stress.

Managing the Stress of Humanitarian Emergencies, UNHCR
This guide is focused on stress management in humanitarian emergencies with particular reference to those serving in the field as managers and team leaders. There is information on both critical incident stress and cumulative stress.


Organizational Culture

Managing Stress in Humanitarian Aid Workers: The Role of the Organization, John Ehrenreich - State University of New York [Powerpoint]
This tool offers an instructive lesson on how an organization can contribute to lessening the stress levels of its field staff. Leadership styles, teambuilding, policies, and practices all contribute to how well your support your staff. Click through this presentation to learn how to operationalize these philosophies.


Resiliency

Resiliency in Action
At last, a resource exclusively devoted to the topic of resilience! Browse this website for research and readings on resilience, and find opportunities to attend trainings on subjects related to resilience and positive behavioral change.

Resiliency Quiz, Resiliency in Action
This resiliency quiz gives a good estimate of a person's ability to "bounce back." The test-taker evaluate the different support systems and coping mechanisms that they use, and take a closer look at their own qualities that contribute to resilience. This quiz is appropriate for many settings: use it while screening a new recruit, take it yourself, or make it available in the office for your current staff members.

Center for Humanitarian Psychology Information Sheets
This link will bring you to a list of brief but thorough information sheets on topics including Resilience, Traumatic and Cumulative Stress, Tools to Cope with Stress, Depression, Compassion Fatigue, and Coping Mechanisms.


Cumulative/Chronic Stress

Addressing Cumulative Stress in Your Population, Rensia Melles
Melles offers a deeper look into the type cumulative stress that field workers often experience. Her discussion includes the impact of stress on field workers' lives, distinct ways that different cultures cope with cumulative stress, and how managers can recognize the symptoms and help.

International Staff Stress Questionnaire, Catholic Relief Services
Get a reading on the stress level of your staff. This anonymous questionnaire was designed by Catholic Relief Services as a tool find out more about staff needs. Use the questions listed as a starting point and adapt the quiz to your organization or ask more questions about the specific information you're seeking.

Taking Care of Yourself, APS Healthcare
It's important for you to support your staff in taking care of their health, not only during critical events, but every day during their tenure. In addition, it's important to help offer them ways of taking care of themselves upon re-entry. This document offers a guide to simple ways of caring for one's physical and mental health; how to recognize normal symptoms of critical incident stress; and ways to decompress once the assignment is complete.

Humanitarian Involvement in Armed Conflict: The Stress Factor, ICRC
The audio clips available on the ICRC website are part of a model program developed by Dr. Bierens de Haan, an ICRC psychiatrist. The program is aimed to provide psychological support for humanitarian staff working in conflict zones. This audio clip is 58 minutes long and discusses humanitarian action in conflict areas (Who is concerned? What is it? What can be done about it?). The accompanying 29-minute clip discusses the key role of management in dealing with stress.

Room for Improvement: Management and Support of Relief and Development Workers, Relief and Rehabilitation Network
This report describes the findings and recommendations resulting from an investigation into the support and management provided to workers in relief and development. Methods included a survey of 200 returned workers and discussions with employing agencies.

CARE International Security and Safety Handbook, CARE
CARE's security and safety handbook assembles the best available information on how to work safely in today's humanitarian environment. The handbook discusses policies, assessments, planning, stress management, and fundamental safety and security procedures. Follow the link to Chapter 7 to find material devoted to the sources of stress, stress indicators, and ways to prevent stress.

Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief Personnel: Learning Center, Headington Institute
The Headington Institute has established a learning center to provide valuable resources on psychological and spiritual support for humanitarian aid and disaster relief personnel worldwide. When you visit the learning center, you'll find articles that are geared specifically toward stress in the field, as well as links to additional resources that are useful for managers, field workers, office workers, and family members. Also, be sure to browse the concise and helpful tip sheets for self-care.

A number of articles have recently been written on subject of stress in the field. A few of them are listed here:

Aid Workers Too, Suffering Post Traumatic Stress, National Geographic News
Aid workers in Iraq, Afghanistan try to withstand stress from burnout, violence, Chicago Tribune
Managers Must Help Aid Staff Cope With Stress, AlertNet

Relief Groups Seek Workers With Language Skills, Overseas Experience, and a High Tolerance for Chaos, Chronicle of Philanthropy
This article takes a realistic look at why people want to do relief work, what it takes to do the job, and what type of person the agencies are looking for. Does the applicant have "experience," and what does that mean? Is the applicant resilient and how does one screen for that?

Stress and Trauma Handbook, World Vision
This link provides a review and option to purchase John Fawcett's "Stress and Trauma Handbook." The book addresses how stress impacts human functioning, the signs of burn-out, and steps that can be taken to reduce the effect of stress and strain. Using real stories, a series of check-lists, stress indicators, and burn-out monitors, this book aims to help aid-workers track their well being. The focus is on finding a way to grow and thrive in these circumstances while continuing to work, build strong relationships and be proactive in life.

Insights into the Concept of Stress, Pan American Health Organization
If you're interested in a more interactive approach to understanding stress, check out these two resources. Insights into the Concept of Stress is a workbook that walks the reader through a course aimed at helping managers and aid workers identify and understand stress. Stress Management in Disasters is a terrific accompanying workbook which focuses on dealing with stress in disasters and traumatic situations. There is information on both critical incident stress and cumulative stress.

Managing the Stress of Humanitarian Emergencies, UNHCR
This guide is focused on stress management in humanitarian emergencies with particular reference to those serving in the field as managers and team leaders. There is information on both critical incident stress and cumulative stress.

Critical Incident Stress Information Sheet, International Critical Incident Stress Foundation
Review this information sheet to learn the signs and signals of a stress reaction, and things to try to help alleviate symptoms.

Stress and Trauma Handbook, World Vision
This link provides a review and option to purchase John Fawcett's "Stress and Trauma Handbook." The book addresses how stress impacts human functioning, the signs of burn-out, and steps that can be taken to reduce the effect of stress and strain. Using real stories, a series of check-lists, stress indicators, and burn-out monitors, this book aims to help aid-workers track their well being. The focus is on finding a way to grow and thrive in these circumstances while continuing to work, build strong relationships and be proactive in life.

The Humanitarian Companion
Chapter 4 discusses the causes and consequences of stress for field staff and lays out a strategy for reducing stress. The Resources section contains scripts for relaxation exercises. Ehrenreich, J. (2004). The Humanitarian Companion. London: ITDG Publishing

Sharing the Front Line and the Back Hills: Peacekeepers, Humanitarian Aid Workers, and the Media in the Midst of Crisis, Member Care
The book is prefaced by a helpful Forward by Kofi Annan, the General-Secretary of the United Nations. Mr. Annan's comments are followed by 36 chapters on stress factors for peacekeepers, aid workers, and media personnel. There are some excellent research studies and reviews on stress among the military as well as among aid workers. And there are also some chapters on organizational approaches to stress reduction, human resource development, and in general, what life is really like for those who cross cultural boundaries to serve fellow human beings in need.