Piñeros Sandra Elizabeth, Garzón Nathaly, Urrego Zulma Consuelo, Coghill Nikki, Samacá Daniel, Eslava Javier Hernando
Departamento de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia; Grupo de Investigación Violencia y Salud, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, D. C., Colombia.
School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Grupo de Equidad en Salud, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá,D. C., Colombia.
Biomedica. 2025 Mar 28;45(1):133-150. doi: 10.7705/biomedica.7250.
In the Colombian context, research on victims of armed conflict has demonstrated that exposure to violence impacts different aspects of their lives and represents a challenge for their support workers.
To explore perceptions, beliefs, and knowledge about mental health and support sources among victims of forced migration -due to the internal armed conflict- and their support workers in Soacha, Colombia.
We conducted a qualitative exploratory study. Data were collected from December 2018 to March 2019 using separate focus groups of victims and workers. Thematic content analysis established five deductive categories: perceptions of mental health; the impact of forced displacement and its relationship with mental health; knowledge or perception of institutional support; community networks; and knowledge or perception of the state measures concerning care, assistance, and reparation. We also included some inductive categories that emerged from the analysis.
Victims demonstrated deteriorated mental health, expressed by emotional, cognitive, and behavioural disturbances. Many of these conducts were exacerbated by the traumatic stress of displacement and exposure to other forms of violence, in addition to social and material deprivation. Emotional avoidance and active search for self-improvement emerged as coping mechanisms used by the victims. Workers experienced high levels of stress assisting trauma victims, and they also needed support for their mental health.
The findings showed complex and mainly negative impacts on mental health in both groups. Interventions should aim to address poor mental health and strengthen cultural identity and support networks for victims.
在哥伦比亚的背景下，对武装冲突受害者的研究表明，接触暴力会影响他们生活的不同方面，对为他们提供支持的工作人员来说也是一项挑战。
探讨因哥伦比亚索阿查的内部武装冲突而被迫迁移的受害者及其支持工作人员对心理健康和支持来源的看法、信念和知识。
我们进行了一项定性探索性研究。2018年12月至2019年3月，通过分别对受害者和工作人员进行焦点小组访谈收集数据。主题内容分析确定了五个演绎类别：对心理健康的看法；强迫流离失所的影响及其与心理健康的关系；对机构支持的了解或看法；社区网络；以及对国家有关照顾、援助和赔偿措施的了解或看法。我们还纳入了分析中出现的一些归纳类别。
受害者表现出心理健康恶化，表现为情绪、认知和行为障碍。除了社会和物质匮乏之外，许多这些行为因流离失所的创伤压力和接触其他形式的暴力而加剧。情绪回避和积极寻求自我改善成为受害者使用的应对机制。工作人员在协助创伤受害者时承受着高度压力，他们自己的心理健康也需要支持。
研究结果表明，两组人群的心理健康都受到了复杂且主要为负面的影响。干预措施应旨在解决心理健康问题，加强受害者的文化认同和支持网络。
