Human Agency and the Meaning of Informed Consent: Reflections on Research with Refugees

Recent analysis of the ethics of research with refugees suggests that there are practical and theoretical issues to be addressed in achieving informed consent from participants who are in vulnerable situations. This article reviews the questions that are central to this concern, focusing in particular on the challenge of ensuring that the human agency of refugees is sustained and promoted. A model for research work with refugees is described and discussed, drawn from a participatory action research project, which demonstrates a way in which these core ethical principles can be achieved.

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Human Rights & Psychotraumatology: abstracts from 12th European Conference on Traumatic Stress Vienna, 2-5 June 2011

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Impact of sexual violence on children in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

The conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been particularly devastating for children and has been typified by high levels of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In this study, we seek to characterize the patterns and impact of sexual violence on children in the Eastern DRC. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered among a convenience sample of women <18 years of age presenting for post-sexual-violence care at Panzi Hospital in South Kivu, DRC.

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Group cognitive behaviour therapy for military service-related post-traumatic stress disorder: effectiveness, sustainability and repeatability

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess 12 month outcomes of Australian combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who participated in a 6 week group-based CBT programme at the Toowong Private Hospital. The study population included 496 consecutive admissions to the programme between 1999 and 2008. Method: Self-report measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, anger, alcohol use, relationship satisfaction and quality of life parameters were collected at intake and 3, 6 and 12 months post intake.

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Experiénces potentiellement traumatisantes des secouristes: lors d'une catastrophe technologique

Cet article traite des expériences vécues par les sapeurs-pompiers et les personnels des services d'aide médicale urgente pendant et immédiatement après les opérations de secours lors de la catastrophe de Ghislenghien. Une analyse phénoménologique indique que les sapeurs-pompiers ont rapporté plus de menaces vitales ressenties et d'exposition directe à la mort que les personnels des services d'aide médicale urgente.

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Exposure to violence and PTSD symptoms among Somali women

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, exposure to traumatic stressors, and health care utilization were examined in 84 women attending a primary health care clinic in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Somalia-Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale was used in this active warzone to measure symptoms. Nearly all women reported high levels of confrontations with violence, half described being exposed to a potentially traumatizing event. Nearly one third had significant PTSD symptoms.

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Gender-related mental health differences between refugees and non-refugee immigrants - a cross-sectional register-based study

BackgroundBeing an immigrant in a high-income country is a risk factor for severe mental ill health. Studies on mental ill health among immigrants have found significant differences in mental health outcome between immigrants from high income countries and low-income countries. Being an asylum seeker or a refugee is also associated with mental ill health.

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Emotional labor among trainee police officers: The interpersonal role of positive emotions

The aim of this study is to get an insight of the interpersonal process of emotional labor, and the role of positive emotions in the interaction between the sender and receiver, while taking both the perspective of the sender and the receiver into account. We tested the influence of the perceived display of positive emotions of Dutch trainee police officers (N = 80) during an interaction with offenders on perceived authenticity and perceived performance success, incorporating the sendersGÇÖ emotion regulation technique (i.e., deep acting and surface acting).

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État de stress post-traumatique au retour d'Afghanistan = Post-traumatic Stress Disorder after returning from Afghanistan

Our study compared two self-screening questionnaires for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): the post-traumatic Checklist Scale (PCLS) and the Brief Screening questionnary (short scale), completed by 357 soldiers, two to six month after their return from Afghanistan. The qualifications screening scales were evaluated by comparing the diagnosis of PTSD increased by a clinician in a standardized interview conducted with 85 people in positive scale of randomly selected among the negatives. The PCLS should be taken as a reference scale for screening for PTSD.

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Evidence based guidelines for Mental, neurological and substance use disorders in low- and middle-income countries: summary of WHO

Mental, neurological, and substance use(MNS) disorders are highly prevalent andare responsible for 14% of the globalburden of disease expressed in disabilityadjustedlife years (DALYs) [1]. Theresources that have been provided incountries to tackle the huge burden areinsufficient, inequitably distributed, andinefficiently used, which results in a largemajority of people with these disordersreceiving no care at all [2–7].

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