“NO POST-TRAUMA AFTER TRAUMA?” A QUALITATIVE STUDY WITH REFUGEE HELPERS BEING CONFRONTED WITH SEQUENTIAL TRAUMATIZATION

Abstract

"This presentation focuses on the stressors of helpers and aid workers who are confronted with trauma of refugees. Based on empirical data, I want to provide a closer look at these specific stressors. About the background: According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), there are currently nearly 26.4 million refugees, about half of them are under the age of 18. A majority of them have been exposed to multiple traumatic experiences, such as internal displacement, extreme violence, and torture. Meeting the needs of this vulnerable group is a major challenge for host countries and is often covered by professional helpers or volunteers. Since helpers are repeatedly confronted with severe trauma of the primary victims, they often are affected themselves. The effect of secondary trauma stress is already established in scientific literature and documented in the DSM-5. What is still lacking in terms of conceptualization are two main aspects: Firstly, traumatized refugees do not only suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but their traumatization is much more complex. Clinical trauma research often runs the risk to cut the consequences of war and flight too short. According to this, I would like to introduce the concept of sequential traumatization as an alternative approach for understanding traumatization in this context. Originally coming from a study of holocaust survivors, it describes trauma as an ongoing and long-lasting process and thus contrasts with the concept of post-traumatic stress disorder. Among other aspects the formulation of sequential traumatization integrates decreased resilience, cultural as well as socio-economical aspects of trauma. And secondly, refugee helpers are therefore not only confronted with primary victim PTSD, but also the more complex form of sequential trauma. That means, their stressors cannot be separated from a range of socio-political and societal conditions. The Helpers may face secondary sequential traumatic stress (SSTS). Our research question focuses on these specific stressors caused by confrontation with sequential trauma. Eighteen interviews were conducted with supporters in the context of flight and asylum. According to our results helpers have to deal with fears, excessive demands as well as with feelings of guilt, ambiguities of hope and despair and the endurance of uncertainty and injustice. In addition to empathy and direct confrontation with trauma, it is above all social approaches and political decisions that make supporters feel angry, powerless and helpless in the context of war, flight and, asylum."