# Understanding the link between mental health disorders and professional quality of life among humanitarian workers: A cross-sectional study from the Thai-Myanmar border

## TL;DR

This study examines how mental health issues affect the professional quality of life of humanitarian workers on the Thai-Myanmar border.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific mental health risk and protective factors for humanitarian workers in high-stress environments.

## Key findings

- Higher stress, depression, and PTSD significantly increase burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
- Quality of life is positively linked with compassion satisfaction and negatively with burnout and secondary traumatic stress.
- Family support and quality of life predict higher compassion satisfaction among humanitarian workers.

## Abstract

The study aimed to explore the relationship between mental health disorders and professional quality of life (ProQOL) among humanitarian aid workers (HAWs) along the Thai-Myanmar border focusing on compassion satisfaction, burnout and secondary traumatic stress (STS).

Cross-sectional study.

Data was collected through surveys using validated tools to measure compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. An independent t-test and ANOVA were used to compare groups. Linear regression models were applied to assess the relationships between social support, stress, and job outcomes. Pearson correlation was used to explore the associations between key variables, with significance set at P < 0.05.

The mean scores were 34.87 ± 6.55 for compassion satisfaction, 24.68 ± 5.31 for burnout and 25.16 ± 6.19 for STS. Higher stress, depression and PTSD significantly increased burnout and STS. Quality of life (QOL) was positively linked with compassion satisfaction and negatively associated with burnout and STS. Multiple linear regression showed that family support (AMD: 1.524, 95 % CI: 1.14–1.91) and QOL (AMD: 0.088, 95 % CI: 0.04–0.14) predicted higher compassion satisfaction. Burnout was negatively associated with family support (AMD: 0.951, 95 % CI: 1.25 to −0.65) and QOL (AMD: 0.054, 95 % CI: 0.09 to −0.01) however positively linked to stress and PTSD.

This study provided the mental health challenges of HAWs, emphasizing protective and risk factors that can inform targeted interventions to enhance their well-being in high-risk settings.