People are the most productive when they feel welcome, respected and safe. In the human dignity world, the risk to develop compassion fatigue (physical and mental exhaustion and emotional withdrawal), vicarious trauma (a profound shift in worldview that can occur in anyone who continuously engages empathetically with survivors of traumatic incidents) and burnout (the slower onset of physical and emotional exhaustion that can result from being powerless, unsatisfied or overwhelmed) is much higher than amongst other professions, and this amongst volunteers and staff members alike. The daily activities of those promoting and protection human rights are accompanied by perpetual stress. Compared to other professions, the continuous exposure to personal stories of human rights violations, the potential risk of reprisals and the lengthiness to achieve long-lasting change leads to an additional increase of a person's individual stress level.
To acknowledge and mitigate such risk, and support your people when affected, plays an important role in your ability keep them on board, and thus your capability to continue to promote and defend human dignity.
Operational fatigue amongst those promoting and protecting human rights is today more and more recognized. Mental health professionals who regularly work with human rights defenders have found that professional burnout is the most common challenge in this profession, where regular communication, emotional empathy, and exceptional responsibility are required constantly. Fighting for justice demands physical resilience, emotional readiness, quick responsiveness to problems, constant communication, caring for others, solidarity, and empathy. In addition, human rights defenders often prioritize their work and do not take time for themselves. It is therefore vital to take good care of the psycho-social and mental health of those you work with.
This workshop tool informs readers of common signs of burnout and provides information on how to deal with this burnout, including a personal worksheet.
The National Institute of Mental Health of the Czech Republic has developed a mental health guide that has been adapted by the Federation Global Initiative on Psychiatry for all those promoting and protecting human rights. The online platform contains a combination of self-care tools, one self-tests and explanations and advice what to do when you cannot withstand the exposure to human rights violations anymore.
Mental Health and Human Rights Info is a resource database providing free information about the consequences of human rights violations on mental health in the contexts of disaster, war and conflict, such as flashbacks, anxiety and panic. They have developed techniques based on the specific needs of gender.
Learn from your peers
The Association for Progressive Communications (APC) is an international network of civil society organisations (CSOs) dedicated to empowering and supporting people working for peace, human rights, development and protecting the environment that has been exceptional in supporting their staff to adjust to mental challenges in a virtual work place.
Learn from TARSHI, India, how the organisation supports in staff in building mental health resilience.
A specific podcast dedicated to human rights defenders in exile from Myanmar shares peer experiences and support to uphold strong mental health in exile.
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