Cooperación internacional y choque cultural ante situaciones críticasemociones y mecanismos de afrontamiento en cooperantes sociosanitarios

Abstract

Thousands of people move to priority areas of international health and social care cooperation to provide aid in critical situations, facing challenges ranging from disasters to urgent scenarios, putting their adaptability and emotional skills to the test. In these circumstances, culture shock can occur which, on occasions, can affect the effectiveness of social and health care work and the emotional state of the aid workers themselves. This qualitative study, through semi-structured interviews, addresses the different manifestations of culture shock and coping mechanisms. We believe that it is possible to prevent the "silent" victims of culture shock, given that they help in areas so different from their origin, and in urgent situations. The scant attention to the phenomenon in the scientific literature highlights the importance of studying it in order to advance the prevention of collateral damage in both international co-operators and the patients they serve.