The Spiritual Approach to Group Psychotherapy Treatment of Psychotraumatized Persons in Post-War Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Psychological trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may have an intensive negative impact on a patient"s spiritual beliefs or his/her belief in God; this effect may diminish the social and professional skills of many survivors. In the same time researches showed that religion plays a coping role among patients with medical and mental health illnesses. During the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina (1992-1995) the whole population, regardless of age, gender, nationality or profession, suffered severely. During the pre-war period in communistic Yugoslavia religious believes altered with atheistic public life styles. Additionally, war traumatization had a negative impact on spirituality and religious beliefs. In the series of case reports we intended to describe and assess the impact of a session of group psychotherapy, with spiritual topics and content, which was offered to patients who needed to reestablish religious beliefs. The patients who come to the Psychiatry Clinic because of trauma-induced mental health problems and who we are interested in strengthening their spirituality met each other in the group regardless of their religious or spiritual conviction. We described the conceptualization and development of such a group and present some self-reported views of clients who took part in these groups. The supportive and empathetic presence of such group in the community helps to prevent withdrawal and isolation, alienation and deviation of traumatized persons. The presence of OPEN ACCESSReligions 2011, 2 331 such group facilitates the rehabilitation process of the victims, allowing them to understand that people are available to them in certain critical moments, to help, to offer protection or to console. Groups like this one, offer long term social and spiritual support to extremely severely traumatized victims.

Bosnian Paternal War Orphans

“…Bosnia is a multiethnic and multireligious society, with 51% Muslims, 31% Orthodox Christians, 15% Roman Catholics, and 3% others, including Protestants and Jews (US Department of State, 2021). Most of our sample belonged to the predominant Muslim population, and religious/spiritual coping with adversity is common; previous research addressed the relationship between religious beliefs/practices, spirituality, and mental health among Bosnian adults and youth (Hasanović et al, 2011; Pajević et al, 2007; 2017).…”

Συγκριτική Μελέτη Παιδιών Με Συμπτώματα Μετατραυματικής Διαταραχής Σε Ελλάδα Και Παλαιστίνη

“…Επιπλέον έχει παρατηρηθεί αντίθεση μεταξύ των χαμηλών τιμών μετατραυματικής διαταραχής σε παιδιά που βίωσαν τραυματικά γεγονότα, προερχόμενα όμως από υγιή και σταθερά οικογενειακά περιβάλλοντα και των υψηλών τιμών σε παιδιά που βίωσαν τα ίδια τραυματικά γεγονότα, έχοντας υπάρξει θύματα συνεχούς παραμέλησης και κακοποίησης (Bessel et al, 1996). (Hasanovic et al, 2011).…”