Survivor Guilt and Moral Injury

Heartbeat of Humanity

In this episode of Heartbeat of Humanity, Communications Officer Jesper Guhle interviews MHPSS Technical Advisors Arz Stephan and Anna Goloktionova about the concepts of 'survivor guilt' and 'moral injury' and how they impact people including Red Cross and Red Crescent staff and volunteers who often are among the first responders.
In a time where people, either in person or on social media, are witnessing many devastating armed conflicts in Armenia, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine - to mention a few, as well as one environmental crisis after another with earthquakes and floods - understanding these concepts can help protect our mental health and navigate feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness.
Survival guilt and moral injury are psychological phenomena spread around humanitarian work, where the contrast between the altruistic mission and the harsh realities faced by aid workers can lead to profound emotional distress. Survival guilt arises when individuals feel an overwhelming sense of culpability for having survived a crisis or conflict while others did not. In humanitarian contexts, this guilt may stem from witnessing the suffering and loss experienced by the populations being assisted.

Moral injury, on the other hand, is a deeper psychological wound resulting from actions or witnessed events that transgress one's ethical or moral beliefs. Humanitarian workers may struggle with moral injury when faced with the inherent dilemmas of providing aid in complex, often volatile environments. The difficult decisions made to prioritize resources or navigate ethical quandaries can haunt individuals long after the mission ends.

Addressing these psychological challenges is crucial for the well-being of aid workers and the effectiveness of humanitarian efforts. Support systems such as buddy systems or peer-to-peer support groups, debriefing sessions, and adequate resources play pivotal roles in mitigating the impact of survival guilt and moral injury.

Furthermore, organizational policies need to acknowledge and proactively address these issues to foster a trauma-informed humanitarian workforce.
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Research in this field includes articles such as "The Psychological Impact of Providing Care to Traumatized Populations" (Smith et al., 2019), "Moral Injury in Humanitarian Aid Workers" (Williamson et al., 2020), and reports from renowned institutions like the World Health Organization and Médecins Sans Frontières. Understanding and mitigating survival guilt and moral injury are imperative for sustaining the mental well-being of those dedicated to alleviating global suffering, including: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/africaatlse/2022/06/13/aid-worker-emotions-can-obstruct-meaningful-local-humanitarianism-localisation/