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A programme of mental health for political refugees: Dealing with the invisible pain of political exile

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  • Barudy, Jorge

Abstract

Political persecution, state terrorism, torture, political assassinations, kidnapping and forced exile have become common occurrences in many parts of the world. Several researchers have tried to determine the impact of these situations on the mental health of those affected. At the same time, different types of aid programmes have been developed to prevent and treat the effects of violence on mental health. In this article we present clinical materials collected for 10 years by the Latin American Collective of Psychosocial Work [Colectivo Latinamericano de Trabajo Psicosocial (Colat)], a medical-psychosocial assistance programme for political refugees. The programme was under the academic supervision of the Catholic Universities of Leuven (KUL, ULC), Belgium. The concept of identity is the central theme of a model which tries to understand and explain the suffering of exiles. We try to identify and expose the mechanisms of political violence that have traumatized an individual's self-esteem and disordered his familial and social bonds. In the second part of this article, the central ideas which support the medical-psychosocial practice of the programme are presented. This programme seeks to heal the damage caused by repression and exile through the active participation of those affected. Only in a context of communal action is it possible to develop a therapy to promote an individual recovery. It is in this sense that the strategic goal of the programme is to permit elaboration of the suffering at an individual, familial and group level, and to facilitate group dynamics which can trigger the potential of the exiles to transform the conditions of violence that originated and maintain their pain.

Suggested Citation

  • Barudy, Jorge, 1989. "A programme of mental health for political refugees: Dealing with the invisible pain of political exile," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 28(7), pages 715-727, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:socmed:v:28:y:1989:i:7:p:715-727
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    Cited by:

    1. Alean Al-Krenawi & Melissa M Bell, 2023. "Gender differences in Syrian refugees in Jordan: Psychological, self-esteem, family function, marital satisfaction, and life satisfaction," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 69(3), pages 714-723, May.
    2. Kienzler, Hanna, 2008. "Debating war-trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in an interdisciplinary arena," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 67(2), pages 218-227, July.
    3. Duncan Pedersen & Hanna Kienzler & Jaswant Guzder, 2015. "Searching for Best Practices," SAGE Open, , vol. 5(4), pages 21582440156, November.

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