Stress in Humanitarian Workers.

Abstract

In emerging countries, the consequences of stress remain undervalued. Stress in workplace is increasingly recognized as one of the most serious occupational health hazards reducing workers' satisfaction and productivity, 1-3as well as increasing absenteeism and turnover. At the beginning, a heavy workload, a lack of recognition of the 4work done and communication difficulties. There is also the need to deal with situations where people feel disarmed (suffering of beneficiaries, war) or, on the contrary, situations of waiting without the possibility of acting for security reasons. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of stress among the UN Refuges Agency (UNHCR) and its local partner (OFADEC) staff in Dakar, Senegal, and to determine the main stress factors.