Intervention Journal
July 2017 - Volume 15 - Issue 2
CURRENT AFFAIRS
ARTICLES
FIELD REPORTS
REFLECTIONS, COMMENTS, LETTERS
REVIEWS
SUMMARIES
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Objectification and abjectification of migrants: reflections to help guide psychosocial workers
Abstract: This is a personal reflection concerning the migration crisis in Europe and its political repercussions on migration policies around the globe. Instead of the usual focus on analyses of needs, this article examines a variety of philosophical categories, such as objectification, abjectification as well as political paradigms, including the risk management approach to governance. It further examines how philosophical categories can be used to read situations in a manner that can be useful to guide psychosocial practitioners, and that can be both intrinsically and necessarily interlinked with migration policies, in order to avoid compromise and not be complicit in creation of spaces of vulnerability for migrants.
ARTICLES
Narrative medicine practices as a potential therapeutic tool used by expatriate Ebola caregivers
Abstract: This study examined how expatriate healthcare providers used narrative methods to process their experiences of working with Ebola patients. Key informant interviews and associated media and blog posts were analysed using an inductive thematic approach. Open coding informed the creation of a codebook which, in turn, was the basis for axial coding and thematic development. A team of researchers collaborated in both coding and theme development in order to address potential subjectivity bias. In the results of 6.5 hours of interviews with 20 nurses, physicians and nurse practitioners, four themes surfaced regarding use of narrative methods: memorialising, advocacy, self-reflection, and camaraderie. Providers of narrative methods reported beneficial and therapeutic effects of writing and public speaking, as well as the therapeutic value of sharing narrative practices with other colleagues. Evidence in this context suggests narrative medicine practices may mitigate negative sequelae related to secondary traumatic stress.
Dance/Movement therapy and resilience building with female asylum seekers and refugees: a phenomenological practice based research
Abstract: This phenomenological study aims to better understand the applicability of Dance/Movement therapy for traumatised women asylum seekers and refugees. It explores if and how bodily engagement could support an existing resilience based treatment model employed at a centre for transcultural psychiatry in the Netherlands. The sessions focused on moving the body and included the use of music, props, mirroring techniques, body awareness and movement exploration exercises. Participation in the sessions was associated with self-reported alleviation of stress and addressed vulnerabilities. Additionally, movement and bodily engagement offered opportunities for body awareness, and interconnectedness with other group members. A key finding was that Dance/Movement therapy provided a shared safe psychological space for self-expression among this vulnerable population, and can be incorporated into a resilience based treatment programme with adaptations for context.
Integrating mental health care into primary care: the case of one rural district in Rwanda
Abstract: Integration of mental health care into primary care is a strategic priority of Rwanda's national mental health care programme and a central tenet of global mental health. In 2009, the international health care delivery organisation, Partners In Health, established a community based mental health programme to support national planning goals. In 2012, the organisation collaborated with the Rwanda Ministry of Health to implement a structured mentorship programme enabling government employed, primary care nurses to care for patients with severe mental disorders at primary care health care centres in one rural district. The implementation strategy included decentralised training and consistent supervision for four priority neuropsychiatric disorders. Lessons learned were applied through the transition of supervisory responsibilities to district hospital based government nurses. The programme's focus on structured mentorship for generalist nurses, systems based improvements and use of an existing public health care strengthening efforts highlight its potential as a model for integrating mental health care into primary care in resource limited settings.
FIELD REPORTS
Bridging the gap in mental health and psychosocial services in low resource settings: a case study in Sudan
Abstract: Sudan has endured the longest civil war in Africa, with ongoing conflict since 1983. As a result, it has one of the largest internally displaced populations on the continent. The gap in care for mental health in Sudan is large, therefore, most of the people affected do not have access to the treatment they need (World Helath Organization, 2009). Mental health facilities in current day Sudan are few and concentrated in urban centres, where they are difficult to access and lack adequately trained professionals who are, in particular, lacking training for trauma related disorders. The objectives of this intervention were to bridge the gap in mental health psychosocial support services in Sudan by setting up a community based, nongovernmental trauma mental health centre providing free mental health services, in addition to mental health professional capacity building. This paper addresses difficulties and opportunities in providing mental health and psychosocial support in country torn by war and political embargo. Furthermore, it includes how to incorporate cultural adaption encompassing Afro/Arab cultures with a focus on gender and political sensitive approaches in introducing psychosocial support and specialised trauma services.
REFLECTIONS, COMMENTS, LETTERS
An attitude of helplessness: basic counselling in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Abstract: The Democratic Republic of Congo has suffered armed conflict for over 20 years, with the eastern provinces being particularly impacted by destruction and structural violence. The consequences of this ongoing violence are visible on the streets and in the homes of the people, as well as specifically affecting the minds of the country's youth. This personal reflection highlights the work of a psychologist at a vocational training centre in Bukavu. The most often heard complaints among the students at that centre are the lack of basic needs, the struggle to survive, extreme stress, and loss of hope and control. Cultural aspects and the impact of structural violence are discussed as explanations for existing attitudes of helplessness. Resilience enhancing interventions are described as programmes that have shown promise for students in Bukavu, in order to regain control over their daily lives and hope for the future.