Few careers can impact an entire family like humanitarian work. It is rarely just a 9-to-5 job. Everyone in the
family – the humanitarian worker, partner, and children – can be enriched by the diverse experiences and
opportunities to help others that come with this work. But humanitarian work can also bring stressful
challenges that test relationships and the stability of the entire family unit. Often, both are true.
Most humanitarian workers say that their families are extremely important to them, and “separation from
family” is often listed by humanitarian workers as one of the most stressful aspects of their job. Research
supports this. Humanitarian workers without strong family or friendship networks are much more likely to get
physically sick and experience high levels of stress. Families play a key role in supporting humanitarian workers, yet few support services and little information are offered to these families. As a result, partners and families can become isolated and overwhelmed, relationships can suffer, and work may be compromised. Everyone benefits when families are equipped to understand and cope with the inevitable pressures of humanitarian work. Partners and children end up healthier and happier and, as a result, so do the humanitarian workers.
Who should read this module?
• The partners and other family members of humanitarian workers.
• Humanitarian workers interested in supporting their families.
• Others interested in supporting the families of humanitarian workers (including friends, human
resources personnel, managers, and staff support professionals).
What should you get out of this module? By the end of this module you should:
• Understand three types of stress associated with humanitarian work (chronic stress, vicarious trauma,
and trauma).
• Understand three aspects of thriving in the face of stress (resilience, hardiness, and vitality).
• Recognize signs of stress and thriving in adults and children.
• Be able to describe self-care strategies and skills that promote thriving as an individual, couple, and
family with children.