How to Maintain Mental Health as a Professional Working with Survivors of Human Trafficking and Conflict-Related Sexual Violence

Abstract

This practitioner's submission focuses on the mental health of professionals working with survivors of human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence. As a professional, being a witness to details of interpersonal atrocities can cause psychological problems, like emotional exhaustion, burn-out, secondary traumatization or compassion fatigue. In order to be able to continue to work effectively and facilitate healing to survivors, it is crucial that professionals maintain their own mental health. Maintaining mental health is always important and even more challenging while working in conflict areas, such as Ukraine. Some specific challenges of staying mentally healthy for professionals working with survivors of human trafficking and conflict-related sexual violence are being highlighted in this article, accompanied with some suggestions on how to tackle those challenges.