ARQ Centre of Expertise for War, Persecution and Violence

Research has shown time and time again that war has an impact on the mental well-being of Veterans and their families. But what does that impact look like when a mission is characterized by severe violations of norms and values (in other words, moral injury)? In this study, family members of Dutch Veterans talked about the impact on their lives of a mission gone bad in the former Yugoslavia, 25 years after it happened.

Considerable academic effort has been invested in explaining the causes of, and processes behind moral injury. These efforts are mostly focused on assessment and treatment within a clinical setting. Collective and social factors contributing to moral injury are often overlooked in current literature. This perspective article considers the role of contextual factors associated with moral injury and proposes a framework that describes their relation to individual aspects.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has put various restrictions on grief rituals. Literature suggests that the restrictions on funerals and grief rituals may increase the chance of developing symptoms of prolonged grief (PG). In this study, we explored the possible impact of the pandemic on aspects of the funeral and grief rituals and examined their relationship with PG symptoms.

The concept of moral injury, referring to the psychological impact of having one’s moral expectations and beliefs violated, is gaining a firm place in research on military trauma. Yet, although moral injury has the recognized potential to extend the understanding of trauma beyond the individualizing and pathologizing focus of the clinical realm, most studies nevertheless focus on clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment.

BACKGROUND
The capacity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to occur with delayed onset has been documented in several systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Neurobiological models of PTSD may provide insight into the mechanisms underlying the progressive increase in PTSD symptoms over time as well as into occasional occurrences of long-delayed PTSD with few prodromal symptoms. 

AIM
To obtain an overview of key concepts explaining and types of evidence supporting neurobiological underpinnings of delayed PTSD. 

This study investigated how children, a post-war generation without direct connection to war, relate to the commemoration of World War II (WWII). Seven group interviews were held among pupils in the Netherlands, aged 9 to 18 (n = 55) and, subsequently, questionnaires
were administered to other pupils (n = 374).

The aim of this article of to analyze ritual in evidence-informed treatments for prolonged and traumatic grief. A scoping review is conducted in order to give an overview of existing literature on ritual and symbolic interventions in grief therapies for prolonged grief and the type of evidence supporting these interventions. The 22 studies reported in this review reveal a variety of ritual elements ranging from symbolic expression and interaction, writing assignments, dialogue with the deceased or an imaginary person, to farewell ceremonies at the end of the treatment.

Collective commemoration in response to war or disaster is widespread across time and cultures. It is assumed to support those affected by the disruptive event to cope with their experiences. However, the actual relationship between commemoration and mental health outcomes is complicated and evidence of healing effects remains elusive.

The loss of a loved one through death is usually followed by a funeral and engagement in various grief rituals. We examined the association between the evaluation of the  uneral, the use of grief rituals and grief reactions. Bereaved individuals from the Netherlands completed questionnaires, six months and three years post-loss (n=552/289).

In this long read, we will investigate how people shape their behaviour in an authoritarian society.

When do they adapt, and when do they think things go too far? What do they consider to be opportunities, or as too much of a risk? To what extent are they prepared (or not) to adjust their previous ideas about right and wrong?

Primarily using examples from the period immediately before and after the Second World War, but also from later in the twentieth century, we look for the small everyday negotiations of people in authoritarian systems, and what we can learn from them.