Rehabilitation of torture survivors in five countries: common themes and challenges

Abstract

BackgroundTorture continues to be a global problem and there is a need for prevention and rehabilitation efforts. There is little available data on torture survivors from studies designed and conducted by health professionals in low income countries. This study is a collaboration between five centres from Gaza, Egypt, Mexico, Honduras and South Africa who provide health, social and legal services to torture survivors, advocate for the prevention of torture and are part of the network of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims (IRCT).MethodsSocio-demographic, clinical and torture exposure data was collected on the torture survivors attending the five centres at presentation and then at three and six month follow-up periods. This sample of torture survivors is presented using a range of descriptive statistics. Change over time is demonstrated with repeated measures analysis of variance.ResultsOf the 306 torture survivors, 23% were asylum seekers or refugees, 24% were socially isolated, 11% in prison. A high level of traumatic events was experienced. 64% had suffered head injury whilst tortured and 24% had ongoing torture injury problems. There was high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress as well as medically unexplained somatic symptoms. The analysis demonstrates a modest drop in symptoms over the six months of the study.ConclusionsData showed that the torture survivors seen in these five centres had high levels of exposure to torture events and high rates of clinical symptoms. In order to provide effective services to torture survivors, health professionals at torture rehabilitation centres in low income countries need to be supported to collect relevant data to document the needs of torture survivors and to evaluate the centres' interventions.

Posttraumatic stress symptoms among Polish World War II survivors: the role of social acknowledgement

“…The mean BDI score in the current study was 15.72 ( SD  = 8.22). Further, in a study of torture survivors undergoing individual treatment at rehabilitation centres in five different countries, the mean BDI score was 14.2 ( SD  = 9.8), and the PTSD prevalence in that group was 40% (McColl et al, 2010). …”

The Mental Health Effects of Torture Trauma and Its Severity: A Replication and Extension

“…However, there is strong empirical evidence for the effectiveness of some of their variants (e.g., Abramson et al, 2010). There is some empirical evidence of the effectiveness of multi-component multi-systemic wraparound torture rehabilitation approach (e.g., McColl et al, 2010). There is need to develop or adopt such a multi-systemic, multi-component, multi-modal Therapies (MSMCT) that include individual, family, and community healing (c.f., e.g., Alexander, 2004, Kira, 2001, 2010.…”

Evaluation of the efficacy of a South African psychosocial model for the rehabilitation of torture survivors

“…Despite a number of international conventions prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment (CIDT), torture is still practised in more than 140 countries internationally, and still widely practised in Africa where it has been criminalised in only 10 countries (Amnesty International, 2014). Sub-Saharan Africa hosts the largest number of refugees internationally, with South Africa receiving most of the asylum seekers in Africa (McColl et al, 2010;UNHCR, 2015). Many of these people are likely to have been tortured in their country of origin or in transit (McColl et al, 2010).…”

“…Sub-Saharan Africa hosts the largest number of refugees internationally, with South Africa receiving most of the asylum seekers in Africa (McColl et al, 2010;UNHCR, 2015). Many of these people are likely to have been tortured in their country of origin or in transit (McColl et al, 2010). Within South Africa, current victims of torture include youth in conflict with the law, nonnationals, and people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time (Bantjes, Langa, & Jensen, 2012;Langa, 2013).…”