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The International Federation of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), has developed a tool
kit and a training manual entitled, Caring for Volunteers, to fulfill their commitment to ongoing staff
psychosocial support. Included in the Tool Kit (2012) are chapters addressing, resilience and risk;
self-care; peer support; “Psychosocial Support Before, During, and After” crises; Psychological First
Aid; monitoring and evaluation of support. The Training Manual (2015) contains relevant resources
to conduct a two or three-day workshop addressing the above topics and includes worksheets and
activities adaptable for many contexts. These are available on-line in four languages from IFRC Psy-
chosocial Support Resource Centre.

3. Barriers to Seeking Help: Internal Factors

“In the midst of emergencies, there is a sense that our personal wellbeing and mental health are not
worth looking after, and we become ashamed of expressing our needs. A woman serving with refugees
told me,“If you claim that you are too stressed, the organisation will maybe relocate you to a boring
job, then it goes on your record...It’s a taboo subject, you are seen as unstable, insecure...So it’s best
only to seek help when your contract comes to an end.” A Syrian humanitarian officer added, “People
either don’t acknowledge that they have a problem or don’t want to ask for help; sometimes we don’t
even realize we are not well, since the pressure is constant.”” (Pigni, 2016, p. 42).

The barriers to receiving adequate mental and emotional care are not only external. Most humans
will do anything, including suffering pain, in order to avoid diminished self-esteem and shame. This
presents a significant problem when someone is experiencing burnout, compassion fatigue, vicarious
trauma or PTSD. The need to avoid being ashamed of oneself and feeling shamed by others keeps
many from accessing the support they need to find relief and healing. Others may feel afraid of re-
percussions from either a perpetrator or a supervisor if they make known the abuse or violence they
have endured.

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