In their Own Words: Resilience among Haitian Survivors of the 2010 Earthquake

Abstract

Social sciences literature highlights the importance of resilience in relation to risk and trauma. The 2010 Haitian earthquake compounded trauma for a nation that has endured slavery/despotic leadership, structural violence and poverty. Since 2010, various sources broadly describe Haitian survivors as resilient. We reviewed definitions of resilience published between 1990 and 2013, comparing them with perspectives of earthquake survivors from economically diverse communities in Haiti who, participated in semi-structured interviews (n=38) and in six focus groups (n=63) between 2010-2011. Haitian resilience accords with some definitions from the literature. It also comprises independent, discrete, and isolated contextual resignation and intentional choice to survive and function-when there is no alternative course of action. Understanding Haitian resilience, can inform health/mental health and policy interventions, if these are taken as cultural resources. Intervention efforts should incorporate survivors' input as key informants on what constitute resilience and reconstruction goals for them.

Experiences of violence and abuse among internally displaced adolescent girls following a natural disaster

“…This reality existed both before and after the earthquake. The female adolescents who experienced IPV may have felt they had no choice but to refrain from reporting on violence and remaining silent, a finding consistent with those of two separate qualitative studies of Haiti 2010 earthquake survivors (Logie & Daniel, ; Rahill et al., ).…”

Best Intentions Are Not Best Practices: Lessons Learned While Conducting Health Research With Trauma-Impacted Female Victims of Nonpartner Sexual Violence in Haiti

“…Haitians, globally, have been described as “resilient” (Bell & Danticat, 2001; Blanc et al, 2016; Nicolas et al, 2010). However, Haitians define and live resilience on their own terms, that is, a propensity to resign themselves to whatever traumatogenic events they experience (Rahill, Joshi, & Hernandez, 2016), in addition to being so flexible as to not be completely destroyed by trauma (Nicolas et al, 2010). We have yet to assess posttraumatic growth in our studied victims, but hope that the recognition of posttraumatic growth among these women will emerge as an outcome of a trauma sensitive adapted RESPECT.…”

“…Department of State, 2015, p. 5). Our experience working in Cité Soleil indicates that the neighborhood is replete with bright, capable leaders, and motivated community members who stand ready to tackle their most urgent problems, but who lack the financial and political support (Rahill, Ganapati, et al, 2016). We have contributed to increasing the capacity of some community leaders, to the point that they have been coauthors with us at conferences (Rahill, Jeudy, Placide, & Phycien, 2013).…”

Transnational Counseling for Mass Trauma

“…American trainees preparing to practice transnational counseling in Haiti need to know that Haitians often view themselves as having fluid and permeable boundaries that are inextricably embedded in kin relationships (Roysircar, 2013; Roysircar, Thompson et al, 2019). Studies of everyday lives in Haiti support the high value placed on relationality, mutuality, and reciprocity (O’Grady et al, 2012; Pierre et al, 2010; Rahill et al, 2016). A sense of collective community is evidenced in rural or semirural communities, where Haitians share a household of clustered family members, called lakou .…”