From war hero to cripple: An interview study on psychosocial intervention and social reconstruction in Nicaragua.

Abstract

An interview study among mental-health professionals working with victims of war and violence in postwar Nicaragua suggests that the professionals frame their understanding of problems, methods of interventions, definitions of aims and goals, as well as their professional role, in a sociopolitical context rather than in a clinical or an academic one. They tell about war heroes becoming marginalized and excluded as the sociopolitical context changed, and about the onset of posttraumatic stress reactions in relation to poverty and social isolation. In response to these conditions, community-oriented psychosocial work, with emphasis on social reconstruction and reconciliation, is emphasized. The experiences of the professionals and their ways of framing and confronting postwar issues are discussed as important contributions to a contextual understanding of trauma and reactions to traumatic events. The role of cultural understandings and meaning systems in which events and reactions are embedded is highlighted.Mental health professionals in Nicaragua working with victims of war and violence were invited to describe their psychosocial work and reflect on their methods, their objectives, and the problems they encounter. The theoretical and practical implica-

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