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Traumatology, Vol. 13, No. 1, 59-70 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1534765607299910

Secondary Traumatic Stress

Prevalence in Humanitarian Aid Workers in India

Siddharth Ashvin Shah

Psychosocial Assistance Without Borders and the Center for Integrative Medicine at George Washington University, Washington, DC, pawb99{at}gmail.com

Elizabeth Garland

Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

Craig Katz

Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, NY

Background: Humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) who aid traumatized populations experience emotional, cognitive, and physical consequences. This study documents the extent of secondary traumatic stress (STS) in a group of HAWs in Gujarat, India. Method: A standardized 17-item self-report questionnaire, the STS Scale, evaluated STS symptoms and severity in workers belonging to humanitarian organizations that provided psychosocial aid to traumatized people in India. Results: All the HAWs (N = 76) reported STS as a consequence of their work; 8% met criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). HAWs of lower socioeconomic status (SES) (p < .001) reported higher trauma scores compared with those of higher SES. Conclusion: Substantial STS exists among HAWs 5 months after widespread mass violence. To bolster resilience appropriately, preventive measures must focus on the prevalent types of traumatic stress in HAWs.

Key Words: burnout • compassion fatigue • work stress • humanitarian aid worker self-care • occupational hazard • relief worker PTSD • secondary traumatic stress • vicarious traumatization


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