Play as a tool for humanitarian workers in countries experiencing chronic crisis

Abstract

Most humanitarian aid work focuses on the short-term needs of communities in crisis. Though extremely useful, this immediate care does little for communities after humanitarian workers leave the affected community. A major area of this is seen in is the psychological well-being of community members. People in countries of crisis - and chronic crisis especially - are often left completely traumatized by the events they experience. This trauma especially in young children results in dysregulation of the nervous system and are often left with “compromised social engagement, proximity seeking, and either underdeveloped or hyperdeveloped behaviors relating to their attempts to remain safe in dangerous circumstances” (Lohrsbe & Ogden, 2017). However, co-regulation of the nervous system has been reported to help this dysregulation. Co-regulation refers to the ability of our brain, as a social organ, to understand the needs of an individual based on actions seen in others