Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia
Addressing mental health needs is a central focus of the Colombian Government's framework for socio-political reconstruction following over 60 years of conflict. Informed by WHO standards, country efforts utilise biopsychosocial models that prioritise individual psychological and psychiatric co...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
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Informa UK Limited
2019
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| _version_ | 1804072420064100352 |
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| author | Burgess, Rochelle Ann Fonseca, Laura |
| author_facet | Burgess, Rochelle Ann Fonseca, Laura |
| author_sort | Burgess, Rochelle Ann |
| collection | LMU |
| description | Addressing mental health needs is a central focus of the Colombian Government's framework for socio-political reconstruction following over 60 years of conflict. Informed by WHO standards, country efforts utilise biopsychosocial models that prioritise individual psychological and psychiatric conditions. However, increasing scrutiny of the deployment of Western approaches to mental health and recovery in the global south suggests a need to explore the best route to improving mental health outcomes. Our research contributes to these debates through a qualitative study of local understandings of mental health recovery related concepts among internally displaced persons in Colombia. Analysis of focus groups with 40 internally displaced men and women established definitions for emotional distress and recovery as parallel processes linked to the fracture and rebuilding of social worlds and family life. Definitions were shaped heavily by cultural, political, economic and legal contexts of everyday survival, often linked to experiences of structural and symbolic forms of violence. We conclude that a locally informed mental health recovery model that stretches beyond individual experiences of mental ill-health to promote ideas of collective social change would be best suited to addressing mental health needs of internally displaced groups in Colombia. Implications for practice are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:58:51Z |
| format | Article |
| id | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:5153 |
| institution | London Metropolitan University |
| last_indexed | 2024-07-09T03:58:51Z |
| publishDate | 2019 |
| publisher | Informa UK Limited |
| record_format | eprints |
| spelling | oai:repository.londonmet.ac.uk:51532020-02-13T16:30:52Z http://repository.londonmet.ac.uk/5153/ Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia Burgess, Rochelle Ann Fonseca, Laura 360 Social problems & services; associations Addressing mental health needs is a central focus of the Colombian Government's framework for socio-political reconstruction following over 60 years of conflict. Informed by WHO standards, country efforts utilise biopsychosocial models that prioritise individual psychological and psychiatric conditions. However, increasing scrutiny of the deployment of Western approaches to mental health and recovery in the global south suggests a need to explore the best route to improving mental health outcomes. Our research contributes to these debates through a qualitative study of local understandings of mental health recovery related concepts among internally displaced persons in Colombia. Analysis of focus groups with 40 internally displaced men and women established definitions for emotional distress and recovery as parallel processes linked to the fracture and rebuilding of social worlds and family life. Definitions were shaped heavily by cultural, political, economic and legal contexts of everyday survival, often linked to experiences of structural and symbolic forms of violence. We conclude that a locally informed mental health recovery model that stretches beyond individual experiences of mental ill-health to promote ideas of collective social change would be best suited to addressing mental health needs of internally displaced groups in Colombia. Implications for practice are discussed. Informa UK Limited 2019-09-17 Article PeerReviewed Burgess, Rochelle Ann and Fonseca, Laura (2019) Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia. Global Public Health, 15 (2). pp. 200-219. ISSN 1744-1706 10.1080/17441692.2019.1663547 |
| spellingShingle | 360 Social problems & services; associations Burgess, Rochelle Ann Fonseca, Laura Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title | Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title_full | Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title_short | Re-thinking recovery in post-conflict settings: supporting the mental well-being of communities in Colombia |
| title_sort | re thinking recovery in post conflict settings supporting the mental well being of communities in colombia |
| topic | 360 Social problems & services; associations |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT burgessrochelleann rethinkingrecoveryinpostconflictsettingssupportingthementalwellbeingofcommunitiesincolombia AT fonsecalaura rethinkingrecoveryinpostconflictsettingssupportingthementalwellbeingofcommunitiesincolombia |