Early psychosocial interventions after disasters, terrorism, and other shocking events : Guideline development

Abstract   Although most victims of disasters, terrorism, or other shocking events recover on their own, a sizable amount of these victims develops long-term disaster-related problems. These victims should receive timely and appro-priate psychosocial help. This article describes the development of guidelines on psychosocial interventions during the first 6 weeks after a major incident. Scientific literature, expert opinions, and consensus among relevant parties in the clinical field were used to formulate the recommendations.

Read more

Does intergenerational transmission of trauma skip a generation? : No meta-analytic evidence for tertiary traumatization with third generation of Holocaust survivors

In a series of meta-analyses with the second generation of Holocaust survivors, no evidence for secondary traumatization was found (Van IJzendoorn, Bakermans-Kranenburg, & Sagi-Schwartz, 2003 With regard to third generation traumatization, various reports suggest the presence of intergenerational transmission of trauma. Some scholars argue that intergenerational transmission of trauma might skip a generation.

Read more

Psychosocial effects of threat and protection, Commisioned Report for the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism

In recent years, politicians and other people in positions of authority have received increasingly
stringent security. Taking protective measures and being accompanied by protection officers
can influence the lives of the people being protected. Some form of psychosocial advice and/
or support may therefore be advisable.
The National Coordinator for Counterterrorism (NCTb) commissioned a project team headed
by Prof. B.P.R. Gersons from the AMC in Amsterdam to conduct a descriptive, systematic study

Read more

Intervention: Strengthening community mental health resources by training refugees as peer counselors. A manual for trainers

Preface for Trainers

Read more

Holy Warriors: Exploring the Psychological Processes of Jihadi

This paper aims to provide an overview of the psychology of individuals who join
and engage in terrorism, and in particular of individuals who engage in jihadimotivated
terrorism such as that carried out by al-Qaeda and its affiliates. Based on
the most reliable available evidence, this paper gives an account of the psychology
and motivations of such individuals and the processes that facilitate and develop
violent radicalization.

Read more

A Strategy for Fighting International Islamist Terrorists

The U.S. strategy for combating international Islamist terrorists must be based on an understanding of the ter- rorists' behavior and the process of radicalization to vio- lence. This process includes four dimensions: a sense of moral outrage, interpreted in a specific way, which res- onates with ones personal experiences, and is chan- neled through group dynamics, both face-to-face and online. The threat has evolved over the past decade.

Read more

Mechanisms of Political Radicalization: PathwaysToward Terrorism

This article conceptualizes political radicalization as a dimension of increasing
extremity of beliefs, feelings, and behaviors in support of intergroup conflict and violence.
Across individuals, groups, and mass publics, twelve mechanisms of radicalization
are distinguished. For ten of these mechanisms, radicalization occurs in a
context of group identification and reaction to perceived threat to the ingroup.
The variety and strength of reactive mechanisms point to the need to understand

Read more

Learning together to be safe: A toolkit to help schools contribute to the prevention of violent extremism

Dealing with violent extremism is nothing new. Throughout history there have been groups prepared to
use violence to achieve their aims. Twenty years ago the major threat we faced was from Irish terrorism.
Today we face a different threat. A small minority seek to radicalise young people with an ideology which
justifies the use of violence through a distorted interpretation of a peaceful religion. While violent
extremism influenced by Al Qaida poses the greatest threat to life, other forms of extremism and

Read more

After the guidelines; the challenge of implementation

One year after the official launch of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings, initiatives linked to their implementation have been undertaken in over 20 countries ranging from Iran and Nepal to Kenya and Peru. In this article we present an overview of the activities that are currently underway to implement the guidelines. This article provides an overview of different strategies that have been used and presents some of the strengths and challenges of these implementation strategies.

Read more

Humanitarian issues beyond the technical tools: the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings

The humanitarian organization Médecins sans Frontieres (MSF) supports the content of the IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings. The guidelines promote a systemic, comprehensive approach to psychosocial and mental health problems, and bring unity to a field that was much needed. However, these guidelines operate within the context of major reforms of the humanitarian aid sector. The potential implications of these reforms on independent humanitarian action are discussed.

Read more

Pages