Year: 2019
Type: article
Abstract: A well‐known medical journal, The Lancet , recently published an important systematic review and meta‐analysis of mental disorder estimates in conflict settings, advocating for the scaling up of mental health interventions in such contexts. However, there is an assumption that the introduction of such treatments has no significant impact, except from a therapeutic one, in the settings they have been imported to. The authors' research in post‐conflict northern Uganda analyzed the social impact of mental health interventions addressing post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and showed that promoting trauma has had considerable socio‐economic ramifications on the wider society. The introduction of trauma narratives has created a market where some are able to thrive, but many deeply troubled individuals remain invisible. The authors found no social benefits from promoting trauma, and few positive effects for individuals. Arguments for urgently upscaling mental health interventions of the kinds highlighted by the review in The Lancet , and which the authors have observed on the ground, should be treated with caution.
Source: Anthropology Today
Language: English
Topic: Health and Conflict Studies
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,000
Awards: MRes/PhD in International Development, Trajectories of displacement: A multi-disciplinary exploration into return and social repair after mass displacement in northern Uganda, GCRF: RECAP - Research capacity building and knowledge generation to support preparedness and response to humanitarian crises and epidemics, CPAID: The Centre for Public Authority and International Development
OpenAlex ID: W2985759977