These guidelines reflect the insights of practitioners from different geographic regions, disciplines and sectors, and reflect an emerging consensus on good practice among practitioners. The core idea behind them is that, in the early phase of an emergency, social supports are essential to protect and support mental health and psychosocial well-being. In addition, the guidelines recommend selected psychological and psychiatric interventions for specific problems. The guidelines include key activities for the campaign such as advocacy events, developing plans of action, coordination tools and checklist to identify gaps. It also includes key messages and ideas for implementation to communities, governments, donors, UN organizations and NGOs. The guidelines is translated to 14 differe3nt languages and can be used as:
1) A guide for programme planning and design
2) Advocacy for better practice
3) Resource for interventions or actions
4) A coordinating tool
5) Checklist to identify gaps
HealthNet TPO is a Dutch aid agency that works on health care in general but also mental health in spesific, in areas disrupted by war or disasters. In these areas people are facing the immense task of rebuilding society while they suffer from poverty, diseases and the emotional consequences of conflict. We use health as both a goal and means: the goal is to reach accessible health care for all. By working on that together with local communities we use health as a means to bring people together and to restore mutual trust.
What good and what harm can visits to detained torture victims do? This question is deliberately provocative, for it may seem somewhat unreasonable to wonder how visits to prisoners (l) who have been seriously ill-treated and even tortured could themselves do harm if those visits are carried out by an independent organization staffed by well-intentioned individuals following recognized procedures .
A range of health and legal experts from around the world share their knowledge and experiences on documenting and reporting cases of alleged torture.
This entry is in four parts. The first part addresses the question what is torture?; the second part, what is wrong with torture?; the third part, is torture ever morally justifiable?; and the last part, should torture ever be legalised or otherwise institutionalised
An important international standard is the United Nations Principles for the Protection of Persons with Mental Illness and for the Improvement of Mental Health Care. It has proved to be particularly valuable in applying human rights recognised in other instruments to people with mental illness and to situations affecting them (for historical reference).
The main beneficiaries of FAVL are people suffered from military operations (hostages, war prisoners, missing people and their families, refugees, forced displaced persons), victims of torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, without difference of race, nation, religion and political views, as well as ethnic minorities/other unions, groups, communities, especially suffered from the infringement of their civil and political, social, economic and cultural rights.
This paper addresses the legal framework and medical and psychological impacts of torture on children. Part One, Legal Framework, begins by showing the three characteristics that legally distinguish torture from child abuse, by definition: Torture is committed by an agent of the state or someone acting with the encouragement or acquiescence of the state. Torture is committed for the purpose of obtaining information or a confession; to intimidate, coerce or punish the immediate victim or a third person; or as part of discrimination. Torture must cause severe pain or suffering. Because of these differences, torture should be treated differently to child abuse, in particular with regard to law enforcement. The fact that torture is committed by a representative of the state justifies a stronger response. That it involves severe pain or suffering is another reason that the response must be proportionate.
A global transdisciplinary network and fellowship of concerned academics and practitioners. They wish to stimulate systemic change, globally and locally, to open space for equality in dignity and mutual respect and esteem to take root and grow, thus ending humiliating practices and breaking cycles of humiliation throughout the world.
Children and adults exposed to chronic interpersonal trauma consistently demonstrate psychological disturbances that are not captured in the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis.found that victims of prolonged interpersonal trauma, particularly trauma early in the life cycle, had a high incidence of problems with regulation of affect and impulses, memory and attention, self-perception, interpersonal relations, somatization, and systems of meaning. This raises important issues about the categorical versus the dimensional nature of posttraumatic stress, as well as the issue of comorbidity in PTSD.
An website with links to different articles related to public health and social justice. The thematic page on War and Peace is relevant for our users. This page contains articles and slide shows on militarism, war, peace, nuclear weapons, terrorism, rape in war, genocide, and violence against women in the military.
PBB is committed to international leadership in evidence-informed psychosocial preparedness, prevention and response to disasters, armed conflict and terrorism. As part of this broad mission, Psychology Beyond Borders is committed to enhancing understanding, policy and practice in four key areas: Preparedness,Prevention,Repetitive exposure to disaster and Resilience.
The CPC Learning Network is an active cadre of member organizations who are capable of collaboratively employing assessment methodologies and able to identify, quantify, and understand the causes and consequences of key child care and protection concerns.
This report hopes to provide a useful resource for those seeking to build upon these developments, helping to translate them into change for individuals and communities. It does so by focusing on one strategy which has been fruitfully used both to bring rape within the international legal framework, and to seek justice in individual cases: making the link between rape and torture and other prohibited ill-treatment.
The case histories of 100 women survivors of torture from 24 countries who sought asylum in the United Kingdom were reviewed in order to assess their experiences of torture and ill treatment and of accessing justice and rehabilitative help and support in their countries of origin.
A guideline for non specialized medical examiners: Proper forensic documentation of sexual torture in children is crucial. Informed consent for examination and documentation must be sought from the child/accompanying person and the examination conducted in a sensitive and respectful manner. Time should be given to the child to relate the history of torture and the examiner should start with open ended questions. The history of torture should be recorded verbatim as much as possible.
Attitudes towards mental illness have changed, with more people coming forward for treatment. Despite this positive development, access to mental health care in low-income countries is still extremely poor and there is a serious shortage of mental health care workers. However, most of these countries have large numbers of community workers who could be deployed to deliver mental health care if they had the necessary knowledge and skills. Where there is no Psychiatrist might go some way in Providing such knowledge and skills.
Psychosocial assistance in emergencies plays an important role in alleviating suffering and promoting well-being, but it is often a source of unintended harm. A prerequisite for ethically appropriate support is awareness of how psychosocial programs may cause harm. This paper underscores the importance of attending to issues of coordination, dependency, politicization of aid, assessment, short-term assistance, imposition of outsider approaches, protection, and impact evaluation.
This handbook offers practical guidance on identifying and addressing the differing needs and situations of women, girls, boys and men; in other words, being sensitive to gender issues in humanitarian crises. The IASC Guidelines for Gender-based Violence Interventions in Humanitarian Settings serve as a complement to this handbook and should be used in conjunction with it.
The booklet aims to provide policy-makers with guidance, suggestions and real life examples to help demonstrate how human rights can and have been applied to pro-poor health policies and initiatives, and how they can enhance the effectiveness of a Poverty Reduction Strategies.
The report includes information on compliance with applicable international law to end the recruitment and use of children in armed conflict and other grave violations being committed against children affected by armed conflict; information on progress made in the implementation of the monitoring and reporting mechanism and action plans to halt the recruitment and use of children, as well as progress made in mainstreaming children and armed conflict issues in United Nations peacekeeping and political missions.
(HREA) is an international non-governmental organisation that supports human rights learning; the training of activists and professionals; the development of educational materials and programming; and community-building through on-line technologies. HREA is dedicated to quality education and training to promote understanding, attitudes and actions to protect human rights, and to foster the development of peaceable, free and just communities.
The Children and War Foundation has been created to ensure that more solid knowledge about children can be gathered, and then used to improve the care of all children affected by war and disaster. Two professional groups, the Center for Crisis Psychology in Bergen, Norway and the Institute of Psychiatry in London, UK, have been instrumental in setting up this foundation.
The aim of this article is to present an overview of the literature on falanga,mainly focusing on the clinical aspects and to highlight possible lesions caused by this specific form of torture that may influence the overall management of the condition.
In the past decade there has been an increasing focus on forgiveness and reconciliation in societies coming out of conflict. The concepts were previously the domain of philosophers and theologians but have become integrally linked to questions of political transition.
Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone, are still embroiled in, or emerging from, long-term warfare. Women and girls in these countries are most vulnerable to gender-based violence and need special protection measures. This study on the situation of war-affected girls and women in the region highlights programmes being implemented with partners to address the impact of conflict, and recommends how UNICEF can more proactively champion the rights of girls – particularly adolescent girls.
There are many ways to improve the lives of people with mental disorders. One important way is through policies, plans and programmes that lead to better services. To implement such policies and plans, one needs good legislation that is, laws that place the policies and plans in the context of internationally accepted human rights standards and good practices. This Resource Book aims to assist countries in drafting, adopting and implementing such legislation. It does not prescribe a particular legislative model for countries, but rather highlights the key issues and principles to be incorporated into legislation (for historical reference).
(BMJ 2006;333:1230-1231) In a 1988 BMJ editorial,1 Marks and I reviewed the available knowledge on the mental health effects of torture and their treatment and presented a critical look at rehabilitation programmes for survivors. Eighteen years later, it is time to cast another look at the advances in our understanding of torture and its treatment and how this progress has translated into rehabilitation work with survivors. Such an update is timely: given the political developments of the last two decades, torture has become an ever more serious problem.
The Field Guide to Child Soldier Programs in Emergencies is intended for Save the Children staff and partners designing and implementing either a program focused fully on child soldiers, or a child soldiers-focused component of a broader program for war-affected children. This field guide is meant to be useful both for staff that have limited experience with child soldier programming and for experienced staff that wish to improve their understanding of particular aspects of child soldier programs.
Transitional justice is a response to systematic or widespread violations of human rights. It seeks recognition for victims and to promote possibilities for peace, reconciliation and democracy. Transitional justice is not a special form of justice but justice adapted to societies transforming themselves after a period of pervasive human rights abuse. In some cases, these transformations happen suddenly; in others, they may take place over many decades.
Countries going through democratic transition have to address how they will deal with the human rights crimes committed during the authoritarian era. In the context of amnesty for perpetrators, truth commissions have emerged as a standard institution to document the violent past. Increasingly, claims are made that truth commissions have beneficial psychological consequences; that is, that they facilitate ‘catharsis’, or ‘heal the nation’, or allow the nation to ‘work through’ a violent past. This article draws upon trauma counseling experience and anthropological fieldwork among survivors to challenge these claims in the context of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Conflicts subject people to frequent and gross human rights violations. This Declaration is intended to serve as a working instrument. It provides a framework to achieve increased consensus and cooperation in operational models, including policy strategies, and programs. It is aimed at promoting evidence-based, holistic and community-based approaches that are effective and which can be implemented rapidly (for historical reference).
This module is part of the WHO Mental Health Policy and Service guidance package, which provides practical information to assist countries to improve the mental health of their populations. Important for countries that are rebuilding their governance.
The Handbook for Repatriation and Reintegration Activities (the Handbook) is a guide for United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and partner staff in the field to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate repatriation and reintegration activities.
In this article the literature on psychosocial assistance to children in war-affected areas is reviewed. Two main types of interventions are identified: the curative approach and the developmental approach. The effectiveness of each of these approaches is discussed.( Intervention 2007, Volume 5, Number 1, Page 3 – 17)
War Child International is a network of independent organisations, working across the world to help children affected by war. War Child was founded upon a fundamental goal: to advance the cause of peace through investing hope in the lives of children caught up in the horrors of war.
The ending of overt violence via a peace agreement or military victory does not mean the achievement of peace.2 Rather, the ending of violence or a so-called post-conflict situation provides a new set of opportunities that can be grasped or thrown away.3 The international community can play a significant role in either nurturing or undermining this fragile peace building process. Both justice and reconciliation are fundamentally significant goals that need to be addressed in the design of successful post-conflict peace building processes and mechanisms, especially in the aftermath of genocide.
Floods, earthquakes and storms have routinely displaced tens of thousands around the world. Over the past few years, the international community’s response to these catastrophes has become ever swifter and more sophisticated. Until very recently, however, and in the rush to deliver life-saving aid, little attention was paid to the rights of these displaced people.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) is the primary mechanism for inter-agency coordination of humanitarian assistance. It is a unique forum involving the key UN and non-UN humanitarian partners.
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings clearly state that protecting and promoting mental health and psychosocial well-being is the responsibility of all humanitarian agencies and workers. Until now, many people involved in emergency response have viewed mental health and psychosocial well-being as the sole responsibility of psychiatrists and psychologists.
The Association of Traumatic Stress Specialists (ATSS) has internationally recognized certifications for trauma responders. It is a membership Association which develops standards of service and education for those who provide critical emotional care to trauma victims and survivors. ATSS has always endeavored to recognize and support both service providers and the consumers affected by all aspects of trauma in the international setting. ATSS is dedicated to excellence in training, education and experience to ensure that victims of crime, abuse, war, terrorism and disasters receive the most compassionate and effective care as possible.
Most people experience considerable distress and avoidance after being exposed to a severely traumatic experience. This is a normal and adaptive response and often includes reliving the event in thoughts, images, and dreams. This initial reliving of the event may in fact contribute to the healing process and provide a way of achieving mastery over the event. For most people, these symptoms usually become less severe and gradually disappear over time. For others, the symptoms persist and become chronic, leading to PTSD.
PFA is an evidence-informed modular approach for assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and terrorism: to reduce initial distress, and to foster short and long-term adaptive functioning. It is for use by mental health specialists including first responders, incident command systems, primary and emergency health care providers, school crisis response teams, faith-based organizations, disaster relief organizations, Community Emergency Response Teams, Medical Reserve Corps, and the Citizens Corps in diverse settings.
Rebuilding Lives focuses on five Fund-supported projects in Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Chile, Pakistan and Rwanda, representing the five regions of the world. The projects are described in brief articles supplemented by a series of photographs. These should allow readers to have a greater understanding of the experiences of torture victims and the rehabilitative services provided by the organizations.
Terrorist attacks like the ones we experienced on September 11, 2001 have left many concerned about the possibility of future incidents of terrorism in the United States and their potential impact. They have raised uncertainty about what might happen next, increasing stress levels. There are things you can do to prepare for terrorist attacks and reduce the stress that you may feel now and later should another emergency arise. Taking preparatory action can reassure you and your children that you can exert a measure of control even in the face of such events.
The Ignacio Marin-Baro Fund fosters psychological well-being, social consciousness, and active resistance in communities affected by violence, repression, and social injustice. Through grants, networking and technical support, the Fund works in partnership with grassroots projects that promote progressive social change.
A hub of global information on the rehabilitation of torture victims and prevention of torture. IRCT have published a growing number of reports, documents, handbooks, and guides, which can be found here.
The objective of this article was to conduct a systematic review of long-term follow-up studies on Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms in children and adolescents. The MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases were searched from 1980 through January 2014. Studies that examined PTSD symptoms in children for over three years after mass natural disasters were selected. Ten studies, including four cohort studies, four cross-sectional studies, one descriptive study, and one case-series study following disaster-exposed children, met all the selection criteria and thus were included in this review. The follow-up period ranged from three to 20 years after the disasters (21 pages, pdf).
Recent research in the social sciences and experience in dealing with children in stressful situations, are providing new insights that challenge much conventional wisdom about how to assist affected children. Because it is increasingly clear that many notions of childhood and of childhood vulnerability, development, and well-being are contextually constructed, serious doubt is being cast on the relevance of many traditional prescriptions for protecting children, especially interventions imposed from outside the child’s social and cultural context.
This workshop is part of an interactive process of reflection launched by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on the tragedy of people unaccounted for as a result of armed conflict or internal violence.
The Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture adopted in December 2002, provides a novel and realistic approach to preventing this unacceptable human rights violation and crime against humanity. For the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR) and the Association for the Prevention of Torture (APT), it is therefore a great honour to jointly present this manual aimed at putting such an innovative and indispensable international instrument into practice.
The PS Centre’s web site features news stories from all over the world on psychosocial support as part of the IFRC intervention in humanitarian crisis. Formerly published articles and stories can be found in the news archive.
WHO is actively strengthening its role in providing technical, intellectual and political leadership in the field of health and human rights. The main objectives are to:
* Strengthen WHO`s capacity to integrate a human rights-based approach in its work
* Support governments to integrate a human rights-based approach in health development
* Advance the right to health in international law and international development processes
World Mental Health Day was observed for the first time on 10 October 1992. It was started as an annual activity of the World Federation for Mental Health by the then Deputy Secretary General Richard Hunter. The day is officially commemorated every year on October 10th.
Humanitarian organizations today are more professionally managed and better equipped and prepared than years ago. However direct exposure to misery, the ever-growing numbers of people affected by humanitarian crises, deteriorating safety and security conditions, and limited available resources mean that humanitarian workers remain exposed to a wide variety of sources of stress. Good staff care and psychosocial care have proven to be an important asset in stress management and the prevention and treatment of traumatic and post-traumatic stress. However, although there is awareness of these issues in most organizations, adequate care systems for national and international staff are often underdeveloped and lack attention and resources.
The psychological suffering of children during war is an often overlooked, yet crucial, outcome of armed conflict. Many children have lived through conflict, political violence, displacement and starvation. This paper examines some of the issues surrounding the psychological costs of war.
More than a decade ago, in September 1990, the Convention on th Rights of the Child (CRC) entered into force. Today the Convention, the most universally ratified human rights instrument, is the standard against which we measure the success or failure of our efforts to serve the best interests of children.
This field guide is one in a series compiled by Save the Children (SC) as part of its Children and War Capacity Building Initiative. The SC Children in Crisis Unit developed this initiative in order to support SC staff in responding to the priority care and protection needs of children and adolescents during new emergencies and in situations of chronic armed conflict or displacement.
The manual Working with Children in Unstable Settings aims to guide UNICEF staff and UNICEF partners in how best to respond to the psychosocial needs of children in unstable situations. It aims to introduce humanitarian workers to psychosocial principles and UNICEFs position on these principles. It provides a number of examples from UNICEF field work of how these principles have been turned into concrete interventions.