Crucial need to improve mental health research and training for human rights advocates

Rohini Bagrodia, Sarah Knuckeyb, Margaret L Satterthwaite, Ria Singh Sawhney, Adam D Brown

There is an urgent need to better understand the mental health risks faced by human rights advocates and to increase the availability of tailored mental health resources. Thousands of human rights groups around the world play a crucial role in promoting rights by investigating violations and advocating for reform, accountability, and justice. Yet advocates might be at risk of adverse mental health effects from direct or indirect trauma exposure, such as witnessing violations, examining physical evidence, and interviewing traumatised survivors.

Self-Care for Activists: 8 Practices for Young Adults, Newport Institute (July 2020)

Identifying Your Role and Practicing Self-Care as a Young Black Activist, Genisha Metcalf, DoSomething.org (October 2020)

Racism, Self Care, Tools

Activism Fatigue: The Mind is a Powerful Resource of Change, Elizabeth Montoya, Morning Sign Out (October 2020)

Next Entries »

Crucial need to improve mental health research and training for human rights advocates

RELATED RESOURCES

Self-Care for Activists: 8 Practices for Young Adults, Newport Institute (July 2020)

Activist Self Care and Wellbeing, Amnesty International (Aug. 24, 2020)

Mental health: Dealing with stress as an LGBTI activist, ILGA Europe (October 2020)

Identifying Your Role and Practicing Self-Care as a Young Black Activist, Genisha Metcalf, DoSomething.org (October 2020)

Activism Fatigue: The Mind is a Powerful Resource of Change, Elizabeth Montoya, Morning Sign Out (October 2020)

How to Avoid Activist Burnout, Lemonade (October 2020)

Self-care and self-defense manual for feminist activists, Marina Bernal, Artemisa, Elige, CREA. (2008)

New Protection Manual for Human Rights Defenders, Enrique Eguren and Marie Caraj, Protection International, (2008)