Peace, love, and justice: A participatory phenomenological study of psychosocial well-being in Afghanistan

Abstract

While there have been many studies that elucidate the extent of human suffering in Afghanistan, there has been no formal study of what it means to be psychologically and socially well. This article reports on a participatory phenomenological study conducted in Afghanistan designed to better understand psychosocial well-being. Collecting data from 440 Afghan participants in 56 focus group discussions, the research specifically elaborated and operationalized definitions of psychosocial well-being that were relevant to the Afghan context. This study adds critical value around definitions of what it means to be psychosocially well in Afghanistan and other conflict-affected countries.

Afghan mental health and psychosocial well-being: thematic review of four decades of research and interventions

“…128,130,131 Finally, concepts of well-being, such as ‘aram’ (‘feeling psychologically and socially well’) and ‘rahat’ (‘feeling comfortable and relaxed, with free state of mind’), are closely linked to peace and security, strong family relationships, friendship/support outside family and engagement in religious/cultural practices. 126…”

“…171 The Ghazanfar Institute also upgraded its curriculum to establish a 2-year diploma for health social counsellors, through which 190 people graduated up until 2021. Programmes in counselling psychology were also introduced into public universities by the Ministry of Higher Education, 161,172,173 with 170 counselling psychologists (68% female) receiving a Bachelor's degree. Thus, in 2018, a Model Counselling Centre was established at Kabul University, playing a key role in improving students’ counselling and psychotherapeutic skills.…”

“…128,130,131 Finally, concepts of well-being, such as 'aram' ('feeling psychologically and socially well') and 'rahat' ('feeling comfortable and relaxed, with free state of mind'), are closely linked to peace and security, strong family relationships, friendship/support outside family and engagement in religious/cultural practices. 126 'Thinking too much' was the most commonly mentioned idiom, rooted in past experiences and current reminders of trauma, characterised by feelings of unhappiness, sadness and depression Explore conceptualisations of depression 122,123 Afghan refugees in the USA (N = 111) Afsurdagi is the Dari term for depression:…”

A Qualitative Inquiry of Older Afghan Refugee Women’s Individual and Sociocultural Factors of Health and Health Care Experiences in the United States

“…Women described sociocultural factors of family involvement and religion as influencing their health and health behaviors. Afghan women’s perceptions of health were generally defined in terms of overall well-being and ability to fulfill familial obligations, but also about their experiences of displacement due to the war (Bragin et al, 2022). Overall, Afghan women’s holistic health beliefs corroborate previous research with other Muslim groups’ ideas regarding health and disease that incorporate spiritual, physical, and psychosocial factors (Alwan et al, 2020; Padela & Zaidi, 2018).…”

“…In previous research, “worries” or “living in a bad situation” as causes of illness was the most mentioned cause of illness identified by Afghan and Somali participants (Feldmann et al, 2007). Similarly, the cultural conceptions of “peace of mind,” family, and religion are significant domains of psychosocial well-being among Afghans in Afghanistan (Bragin et al, 2022). Family values were also a major influencing factor for participants in our study.…”