This article will explore a variety of stressors affecting humanitarian aid workers operating in an increasingly challenging environment and review structures for aid worker support. It will summarise the findings of a workplace stress survey conducted in 2009 by a large international aid organisation and provide a comparative analysis with the 2003 stress survey carried out within the same organisation. The article presents the results of respondent self evaluations relating to key sources of stress in humanitarian aid work and includes an analysis of results by sub-group, comparing staff operating in humanitarian emergencies and those working in the relative safety and security of headquarters environments, male and female, and national and international staff. Finally, the article offers a review of the effectiveness of a range of organisational staff support strategies, including a peer helper programme.

This article critically discusses the use of movement, games and sport in cooperation for development, in post conflict rehabilitation and in the context of violence, disaster and conflict. Pointing out the ambivalent nature of sport and its limitations, we conclude that, if we really want to achieve an impact through movement, games and sport, we should use them as tools with concrete strategies according to specific goals, local context and based on the interests, needs and leadership of the participants. In addition, we argue that in psychosocial intervention, sport is even more powerful combined with other movement, educational or therapeutic methods, and interventions. In spite of a few interesting evaluation and research projects, which we discuss briefly in this article, we still generally lack knowledge about the effects of the applied strategies. Nevertheless, we conclude that there are some possible key factors and basic aspects to contribute to the development of pertinent and effective projects using the potential of movement, games and sport in psychosocial interventions within cooperation for development. We also highlight the importance of the relationship with, and between, the participants and the active, dynamic and participatory character of the intervention.

For the international nongovernemental organisation, World Vision International, the Haiti earthquake response revealed a significant gap in materials and interventions that combined spiritual needs with the mental health and psychosocial support needs of aiected communities. Despite growing scientific evidence that spirituality can have beneficial eiects on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, there is little guidance and consensus about psycho-spiritual approaches in humanitarian contexts. This is especially pertinent for the emergency response in Haiti where religious practice and faith underpins local culture. This can lead to practical and ethical dilemmas. Churches, the clergy and peoples' spirituality are an important area for humanitarian practice to explore, particularly within the mental health and psychosocial support domain.

Since the beginning of Al Aqsa Intifada, Palestinian children and adults living in the occupied Palestinian territory have been exposed to stressful events on a daily basis. As a result, some individuals develop severe and chronic reactive psychological syndromes. The nongovernmental organisation Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides medical and psychological support to them, using psychodynamic psychotherapy adapted to the Palestinian culture and to the low intensity conflict context. This article presents data from 1773 children and adults who received treatment by psychotherapists between November 2000 and January 2006, in the Gaza strip and the West Bank. Nearly half of the patients were children between 4 and 14 years. The three main diagnoses were a) anxiety disorder other than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or acute stress, b) mood disorder, and c) PTSD. The psychotherapy included a median of six sessions over a period of around 11 weeks. At the evaluation at the end of therapy almost 80% of all patients had improved. These observations suggest that brief psychodynamic psychotherapy could have positive effects on the psychological wellbeing of Palestinians, even in difficult circumstances (war context) and within an Arab culture. The authors argue that this type of individual psychological support can be a useful complement to a psychosocial approach at the community level.

Psychosocial interventions in Burma/Myanmar are a new phenomenon. Following the Nargis cyclone in Burma/Myanmar, assessments highlighted a clear need to address the psychosocial issues in local communities. Within the existing socio-political constraints, nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) tried to address these issues in different ways. National NGOs tried to help communities by organising community based psychosocial support programmes. This paper describes and analyses two models of psychosocial interventions. One project was purely focused on community and group interventions, while the other project had also targeted interventions for individuals and groups within a multi-layered approach. These psychosocial projects are not just an end in themselves, but form the basis for further development programmes and coordination with other actors on the ground. It is important that public health providers are involved in the service delivery process from the beginning.

This article briefly describes the International Organization for Migration's (IOM) immediate psychosocial response to the January 2010 earthquake in Haiti, and aims to substantiate some of its underlying principles. The interconnectedness of activities at the national and inter-agency coordination, direct intervention and capacity building levels are illustrated, with particular regard to the specificities of the Haitian culture, and of the pace of the overall humanitarian intervention.

Some western nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) have developed protocols aimed at providing care for the caretakers. The authors, three psychosocial workers in an Asian country, show an approach that is more sensitive to the local context than any protocol could ever be. This is done by giving a detailed description of a two-day ‘stress management workshop’ that was offered to two groups of local staff members from an international NGO (INGO). By the end of the workshops, the behaviour of the participants had visibly changed: they were much less tense and more relaxed, and lethargy had been replaced by confidence in their ability to build a new future. They felt empowered by the seminar. During a follow up session three month later, it was obvious that these results had been sustained.

Cet article observe un certain nombre de facteurs de stress touchant les travailleurs humanitaires affectés au sida qui opèrent dans un environnement de plus en plus diffi cile et il examine les structures d’aide à ces travailleurs. Il résume les résultats d’une étude de stress réalisée sur un lieu de travail en 2009 par une grande organisation internationale s’occupant du sida et offre une analyse comparative avec une étude de stress réalisée en 2003 par la même organisation. L’article présente les résultats d’une auto évaluation de personnes interrogées sur les principales sources de stress dans le travail humanitaire affecté au sida et il adjoint une analyse des résultats fournis par un sous-groupe, qui compare les personnels opérant dans des situations d’urgence humanitaires à ceux travaillant dans la sécurité et la sÛreté relative des quartiers-généraux, les hommes et femmes, les personnels nationaux et internationaux. Enfi n, l’article examine l’effi cacité d’une série de stratégies organisationnelles de soutien aux personnels, y compris un programme d’aide fournie par les pairs.

В настоящей статье рассматриваются типы стрессоров, с которыми сталкиваются работники гуманитарных организаций во все более сложных условиях, а также виды поддержки, которую им можно оказать. Кратко излагаются результаты исследований стрессов, характерных для этой деятельности, проведенных в 2009 году крупной международной помогающей организацией, и предлагается сравнительный анализ похожего исследования, проведенного этой же организацией в 2003 году. Статья представляет результаты оценки респондентами основных источников стресса в гуманитарной работе, а также сравнение результатов по суб-группам, включая гуманитарную работу в чрезвычайных ситуациях и в более безопасных условиях штаб-квартир организаций, работу мужчин и женщин, местного и международного персонала. В заключении рассматривается эффективность стратегий, направленных на оказание поддержки персоналу, включая программы помощи сверстникам.

Este artículo investiga una variedad de estresores que afectan a los trabajadores de ayuda humanitaria que trabajan en un ambiente cada vez más desafi ante, y examina estructuras de apoyo para los trabajadores de ayuda humanitaria. El artículo presenta los resultados de una investigación sobre estrés laboral, llevada a cabo en 2009 por una organización humanitaria internacional, y hace un análisis comparativo con una investigación sobre estrés realizada por la misma organización en 2003. El artículo presenta los resultados de las autoevaluaciones hechas por los encuestados sobre los causantes clave del estrés laboral en el trabajo de ayuda humanitaria. Incluye un análisis de los resultados por subgrupo, que hace una comparación entre personal que trabaja en emergencias humanitarias y personal que trabaja en el ambiente relativamente seguro de las ofi cinas principales, entre hombres y mujeres, y entre personal nacional e internacional. Por último, el artículo ofrece un estudio sobre la efectividad de varias estrategias de apoyo organizacionales para el personal, entre otras el programa peer helpers (apoyo por colegas).