Some assumptions on psychological trauma interventions in post-conflict communities

Working with PTSD in the Asylum Procedure

“…This labelling of asylum seekers is supported by a system in which tabulation of numbers with psychiatric labels forms a crucial basis for the mobilisation of broader social supports (Watters, 2001) and a new form of the transnational administration of people (Fassin & d'Halluin, 2005). It risks tearing individuals away from the potential protection of their own resilience as well as from their community's traditional means of coping with trauma (Losi, 2002). As Papadopoulos (2002b) argues, in our efforts to express our justified condemnation of the individuals, groups and policies that lead to political oppression and crimes against humanity, we offer as "proof" the fact that people have been "traumatized" by these despicable actions.…”

“…This assumption, Summerfield (2001) argues, reflects "a globalization of western cultural trends towards the medicalization of distress" (p. 1449). A narrative of refugees as invariably damaged, weak or scarred, manifest (as indicated by the diagnosis of PTSD), may have unintended negative consequences for refugee populations by minimizing strengths and positive adaptation mechanisms (Afana et al, 2010;Losi, 2002;Marlowe, 2010;Papadopoulos, 2002b;Sturm et al, 2010). The "traumatized refugee" narrative ignores systematic complexities such as the relational nature of the event's impact among family, community and ethnic group members, as well as the effects of the wider societal discourses which colour the meaning, emphasis and quality of events and experiences (Papadopoulos, 2002b).…”

“…Losi (Losi, 2002), an ardent critic of humanitarian interventions focused on PTSD, argues that the use of PTSD by professionals working with asylum seekers leads to a reductive assessment of their plight, victimization and a shift in the interpretation (and understanding) of the refugees' experiences, where the reasons for their exile are no longer socio-political but belong to a more neutral, "technical" dimensions; a de-contextualization of the lived experience of refugees leads to languages and concepts being lost and replaced by medical jargon and obscure terms.…”

Beyond PTSD

“…He has been vociferous in his condemnation of this approach which, in his view, pigeonholes refugees as suffering from PTSD but pays scant attention to their own perceptions and interpretations of distress and their choices in terms of treatment (Summerfield, 1996(Summerfield, , 1999Watters, 2001). Losi (2002) is another ardent critic of humanitarian interventions focused on PTSD, arguing that it leads to a reductive assessment of the refugees plight, victimization and a shift in the interpretation (and understanding) of the refugees' experiences, where the reasons for their exile are no longer socio-political but belong to a more neutral, "technical" dimensions. He demonstrates how this de-contextualization of the lived experience of refugees leads to languages and concepts being lost and replaced by medical jargon and obscure terms.…”

“…This labelling of asylum seekers is supported by a system in which tabulation of numbers with psychiatric labels forms a crucial basis for the mobilisation of broader social supports (Watters, 2001) and a new form of the transnational administration of people (Fassin & d'Halluin, 2005). It risks tearing individuals away from the potential protection of their own resilience as well as from their community's traditional means of coping with trauma (Losi, 2002). As Papadopoulos (2002b) argues, in our efforts to express our justified condemnation of the individuals, groups and policies that lead to political oppression and crimes against humanity, we offer as 'proof' the fact that people have been 'traumatised' by these despicable actions.…”