Organisational & Cultural Factors that Promote Coping.

With Reference toHaiti and Christchurch

John Fawcett, MA

August, 2011

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Brief HistoryFocus on design and implementation of organisational practices that support resilience and coping

ExperienceCambodia 1993 - 1997Global Director of Staff Support programs for World Vision International and Save the Children USAGlobal Research study with School of Psychology at Fuller Seminary, CA, 2000Middle East and Europe study 2003Longitudinal Study CDC & Antares Foundation 2003 – present (ongoing)Asian Tsunami, Afghanistan, Haiti, Sudan, Chad, Christchurch

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Population of Interest

Employees of agencies and organisations specifically in responding to or providing services in the disaster/emergency contextWider social networks of employees including family, friends, colleagues onsite or globally dispersedCovers those directly (‘because’ of it) or indirectly (caught up in it) involved

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

The three key points

People employed in Disaster Response activities form a discrete population at specific risk of experiencing disabling Psychological conditionsOrganisational processes;

increase risk to health and, protect staff from disabling Psychological conditions

Cultural values, practices and structures play key roles in creating successful organisational processes that mitigate Psychological Distress

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

And the important sub-point

External experts (including Clinical Psychologists) are not very successful in enhancing organisational processes to protect staff and build resilience.Internal staffing positions at high management levels dedicated to enhancing protective processes have the highest ROI and success in improving staff resilience and coping.

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

The key ‘fascinating’ findingsNo significant differences for clinical measures across location, role, type of environment, age, genderRisk prevalence for Trauma and associated conditions ranged from 10 – 50% (lower = European, higher = non-European)Prevalence of actual clinical conditions are significantly less than comparative ‘general’ populationsAcross all demographics Social Support is positively linked to lower risk and clinical conditionsFlipping the figures shows majority of employees are generally coping reasonably well.The evidence shows that Organisational factors comprise over 60% of stressorsCultural realities raise serious questions about the reliability and validity of much Psychological Trauma data as it relates to non-European populations.

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

My work over the past 20 years…

Identifying the nature of ‘distress’ experienced by disaster response personnelIdentifying protective factors that keep personnel from experiencing disabling psychological consequencesCreating organisational strategies/structures/processes/frameworks that address consequences of disabling exposure and enhance coping/resilience

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Underpinned by Social SupportSubjects with compromised social support are:

4 times as likely to be experiencing traumatisation3 times as likely to be experiencing some form of unwellness2.4 times as likely to be experiencing some form of acute anxiety;2.5 times as likely to be experiencing some kind of physical illness

Ref: Fawcett, J, “Stress and Trauma Handbook” (2003), World Vision Publications pp118-119

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

If Social Support is Protective then..

Then there is a high potential ROI where organisations build social support processes into operational practices.This does not exclude ‘treatment’ options for those who are impacted by events, environment or organisational factors

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Practice Model built on two primary principles

Principle 1Most people employed in Disaster Response activities do not experience disabling levels of clinical Psychological conditions. (2 – 13% PTSD)

Rather, most experience high but normal (and unsurprising) response to complex, distressing events and environments(15 – 25% Depression, anxiety)

ref: www.headington-institute.org

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Practice Model built on two primary principles (cont)Principle 2

All cultures have sophisticated mechanisms that;Enhance resilienceBuild coping abilityTransmit hardinessPromote hope

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Principles to PracticeInvite the local ‘culture’ to;

Define “distress/pain/suffering”Identify existing factors that cause this ‘pain’Identify existing/past/present mechanisms that ‘manage’, ‘mitigate’, ‘heal’ this painIdentify gaps between the present types and levels of ‘distress’ and existing (and presently accessible) mechanisms (resources, processes) that mitigate pain and enhance healing

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

So what did we do? In Haiti………

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Haiti Ti koze byenèt“A little chat about Wellness”

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

In Christchurch

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Extremely flexible working conditions

EAP Counsellors to each site officeWide brief for interventionsEmployees encouraged to ‘do what is needed’Leader/managers provided direct supportAll employee social networks covered by EAP brief – anywhere in the cityAll incoming/outgoing employees coveredShared space/resources

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

How Culture impacts Organisational Protective Practices

All organisations have distinct culturesOrganisations exist within broader local culturesOrganisational culture varies by locationDespite Western business models there is no ‘real’ distance between internal organisational culture and external social, family, kinship culturesOnly cultures that have strong values of compassion will succeed in protecting employees and family members

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Building Resilience in Organisations

Western Organisational culture is generally resistant to incorporating the value of ‘compassion’ into operational practiceWhere the value underpinning staff support programmes is “OSH” rather than “compassion” these process can be experienced as an enforcement rather than careExternal consultants/experts hardly ever change organisational cultureChanging organisational culture from the inside is lifetimes work

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

Who has the highest resilience?

Haitians or Cantabrians?

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”

ReferencesEriksson, C., Larson, L, Fawcett, J. & Foy, D (2005, June). Social and Organizational, Support, Depression, and PTSD in International Humanitarian Aid Workers. Paper presented at the 9th meeting of the European Conference on Traumatic Stress, Stockholm, SwedenCardozo, B. L., & Salama, P. (2002). Mental health of humanitarian aid workers in complex emergencies. In Y. Danieli (Ed.), Sharing the front line and the back hills: Peacekeepers, humanitarian aid workers and the media in the midst of crisis. Amityville, NY: Baywood Eriksson, C. B., Bjorck, J. P., Larson, L. C., Walling, S. M., Trice, G. A., Fawcett, J., et al. (2009). Social support, organisational support, and religious support in relation to burnout in expatriate humanitarian aid workers. [Article]. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 12(7), 671- 686. doi: 10.1080/13674670903029146 Fawcett, J. (2003) Stress and Trauma Handbook. World Vision InternationalEhrenreich, J. (2005) The Humanitarian Companion: A Guide for International Aid, Development and Human Rights Workers. Practical Action

© John Fawcett “Building Resilience in Complex Environments”