Puvimanasinghe Teresa S, Price Ian R
University of New England, Australia.
University of New England, Australia
Transcult Psychiatry. 2016 Oct;53(5):531-50. doi: 10.1177/1363461516651361. Epub 2016 Jun 21.
Sri Lanka has recently emerged from a three decade long civil war between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Behind the actual arena of conflict, forms of organised violence were often perpetrated on ordinary Sri Lankans who came into contact with law enforcement officials and other state authorities. The effects of these encounters on mental health, well-being, and community participation can be severe and long-lasting. Considering the generally poor availability of mental health services in many low-income countries, brief efficient interventions are required to enhance the lives of individuals and their families affected by torture, trauma, or displacement. In this context, the present study evaluated the effectiveness of testimonial therapy in ameliorating the distress of Sri Lankan survivors of torture and ill-treatment. The results indicated that over a 2- to 3-month period, psychosocial functioning was significantly enhanced in the therapy group compared to the waitlist control group. The general benefits of testimonial therapy, the ease with which it can be incorporated into ongoing human rights activities, and its application by trained nonprofessionals encourage greater use of the approach.
斯里兰卡最近摆脱了政府军与泰米尔伊拉姆猛虎解放组织长达三十年的内战。在实际冲突舞台背后,有组织的暴力形式常常施加于那些与执法官员及其他国家当局有接触的普通斯里兰卡人身上。这些遭遇对心理健康、幸福及社区参与的影响可能是严重且持久的。鉴于许多低收入国家心理健康服务普遍匮乏,需要简短有效的干预措施来改善受酷刑、创伤或流离失所影响的个人及其家庭的生活。在此背景下,本研究评估了见证疗法在减轻斯里兰卡酷刑和虐待幸存者痛苦方面的有效性。结果表明,在两到三个月的时间里,与等待名单对照组相比,治疗组的心理社会功能有显著改善。见证疗法的总体益处、它能轻易融入正在进行的人权活动的特点以及由经过培训的非专业人员实施的情况,都促使人们更多地使用这种方法。
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