Good practice issues in working with interpreters in mental health

If access to appropriate mental health services is not to be limited to people’s ability to speak a dominant or host language used by mental health providers, an interpreter or bicultural worker will be required. This article makes suggestions for good practice in working with interpreters either in situations of ongoing-armed conflict or with asylum seekers refugees and internally displaced people who have fled from areas farmed conflict.

Key words: Interpreters, language, culture, mental health, psychological well-being, training, support

 

Clinical supervision for counsellors in areas of armed conflict

This article describes clinical supervision of counsellors as a structured process that encompasses emotional support, education and monitoring of professional performance. It is based on the experiences of the authors while supervising counselors with limited professional education in areas of armed conflict.

Keywords: assesment, case-conceptualisa-tion, clinical supervision, counselling.

 

What is clinical supervision

Working with survivors of war in non-western cultures: the role of the clinical psychologist

In this paper the possibilities are explored for integrating Western individualistic models of assessment and intervention in clinical psychology and psychotherapy into work in areas of armed conflict where the culture is predominantly collectivistic. Sri Lanka is used as a case study to provide examples and illustrate how such integration might take place. Directions for training in assessment, intervention, programme evaluation, research, teaching, and supervision are discussed.

The Nakivale Camp Mental Health Project: building local competency for psychological assistance to traumatised refugees

Little is known about the usefulness of psychiatric concepts and psychotherapeutic approaches for refugees who have experienced severe traumatic events and continue to live in stressful and potentially dangerous conditions in refugee settlements. The central goal of the Nakivale Camp Mental Health Project is to establish the usefulness of shortterm treatment approaches when applied by local paramedical personnel in a disaster region.

Psychiatric disorders in an African refugee camp

This article describes a study of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders among the clients of a community mental health service in the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. It is based on the case logbook maintained by the nurse-manager over a period of three years. Post-traumatic stress disorder was the most common diagnosis. Findings suggest that it is feasible to establish a low-cost community mental health service in refugee camps in low-income countries such as Kenya. Such a service is likely to attract an immediate and growing demand for assistance.

Problems of Ethiopian Ex-Combatants

This article describes the problems of former Ethiopian soldiers with their reintegration into civil life. During an anthropological fied study, 60 excombatants were interviewed. They reportedfeeling frustrated about the lack f interest in their living conditions on the part of the Ethiopian public and Ethiopian and Western Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs). They felt that they had no future perspective. Some of them admitted knowing former sodiers who had contacted HIV/AIDS, or who were guilty of criminal violence.

Book / article reviews:Olav Ofastad- Conflict management in International Peace Operations: a handbook for officers and soldiers

Olav Ofastad (2003) Conflict management in International Peace Operations: a handbook for officers and soldiers. Oslo, Norwegian Defence International Centre.

The tent of stories

The tent of stories is a method of engaging refugee children in storytelling and social interaction. Through the tent and a ‘story-stone’ a safe and structured environment is created. Different ways of processing a story are explained. In dealing with stories, children learn to use their imagination as a valuable coping strategy. Like any good method the ‘tent of stories’ evolved through interaction with the children it was meantfor. This article tells the story of the ‘tent of stories’ itself

Narrative Exposure Therapy in Children: a Case Study

In this article a form of psychotherapy for trauma-tised children and adolescents (KIDNET) is described. This approach is based on Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), a short-term treatment method for traumatised adults. The description of KIDNET is illustrated with a detailed report of the successful treatment of a severely traumatised 13-year old refugee child

Keywords: child, adolescent, cognitive behavioural therapy, Narrative Exposure Therapy, NET, PTSD, refugees organised violence, war, Somalia.

 

Developing basic mental health modules for health care workers in Afghanistan

In this article we describe our experiences with the development of mental health raining modules for doctors, nurses, midwives and village health volunteers in the context of a general basic health care programme in Eastern Afghanistan. The article contains references to resources to be used by developing mental health care training modules for health workers.

Keywords: mental health, training. Introduction

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