Handling the stress of emergencies

Session 1.3.5

• Identify causes, symptoms and impact of stress

• Identify strategies for reducing or mitigating stress in emergencies

Session 1.3.5

Handling the stress of emergencies

Definition of Stress….

- physical, mental, or emotional response to events that cause bodily or mental tension

- when a person perceives that "demands exceed their personal and social resources "

• Triggers: What causes it • Symptoms: How to recognise it • Impact: Effect it has on us• Strategies: How to deal with it.

Handling the stress of emergencies

Quiz time

Everyone is affected by stress in the same way

All stress is bad for you

The affected communities are more stressed than humanitarian workers

You can learn to handle stress

Agencies have a responsiblitiy to reduce, mitigate and respond to the effects of stress on workers.

The stress of thinking that things will get out of control is worse than when they do.  

Stress is helped by wearing pink tinted spectacles, chewing gum and playing loud music.

Stresses of emergency scale-up could include….

– New, unfamiliar functions, roles and responsibilities– Greatly increased workloads– Difficult environment – food, shelter, water, climate

– Constantly changing scenario and uncertainties

– Relationships – new people, different hierarchies, lack of contact with friends and family

– Personal high standards vs. overwhelming needs.

Types of stress in humanitarian work

Day-to-day stress Cumulative Stress Critical Event Stress

• managing competing demands

Managed by:• establishing routines• observes how others are coping.

• most common and destructive

If unmanaged:• erodes effectiveness of both workers and work groups over time.

•acute response to violence, trauma and threats to life.

Require immediate attention

In 4 groups

What practical actions could be put in place to reduce and/or mitigate stress ?

1. Recruitment2. Deployment3. On the job4. End of assignment