Resilience, Endurance, and the Christian Medical Worker

Characteristics of altruistic individuals, such as passion, dedication, and empathy, can under certain circumstances make them more vulnerable to experiencing psychological distress. In the last two decades, a significant body of psychiatric and psychological literature has looked at this issue. This presentation will draw from the presenter’s work with the diplomatic community and disaster relief workers to identify common stressors and stress responses among Christian workers in foreign environments. In addition, it will explain the notion of psychological resilience, describe the five resilience factors most likely to be protective against burnout and disillusionment, and will suggest ways that Christian health care workers can make use of these concepts to protect their own psychological health and well-being.