Vicarious Trauma And Coping Among Aid Workers

Dear Allison, thank you for sharing this important work. Diana’s findings strongly resonate with what many of us observe in humanitarian settings: vicarious trauma is not an exception but an occupational reality. What stands out most is the finding that impact is shaped less by the amount of traumatic exposure and more by the protective factors surrounding the worker. In my own PhD research on organizational support and trauma recovery among humanitarian staff, I am exploring how protection and recovery happen across several interconnected levels: the individual’s own coping resources and sense of meaning, the quality of peer and team support, the role of managers in creating psychologically safe environments, and the broader organizational culture, policies, and operational context. Findings like Diana’s reinforce that spirituality, community connection, and physical activity are not simply “personal coping strategies”; their protective effect becomes much stronger when organizations recognize, legitimize, and actively support them. This is particularly important in humanitarian settings where chronic insecurity, repeated exposure, and high operational demands can normalize distress. Sustainable staff wellbeing therefore requires more than access to psychological services alone; it depends on supportive leadership, cohesive teams, manageable workloads, recovery opportunities, and organizational cultures that openly acknowledge the psychological impact of humanitarian work.