Endurance Is to Be Shown at the First Blow: Social Representations and Reactions to Traumatic Experiences in the Gaza Strip
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Date
2010-10-20
Authors
Dr. Abdel-Hamid Afana
Journal Title
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Abstract
<p>Purpose:<br />
the present study was designed to investigate the social representations of trauma and ways in which trauma is defined (i.e., meanings assigned to trauma) and acted on (i.e., reactions or responses) among Palestinians living in protracted conflict situations in the Gaza Strip. Examining potential cultural variations may have implications for the definition of trauma in the current psychiatric nosology, as well as for the design and delivery of clinical and community interventions</p>
<p>Methods:<br />
This is a qualitative exploratory study employing ethnographic interviews with key informants. The interview used a semi structured questionnaire composed of open-ended questions. Informants were asked to describe their daily life and current events in the Gaza Strip. Specific questions elicited local expressions of distress, the meaning of traumatic experiences, the nature of coping strategies, and ways of healing practiced by Palestinians</p>
<p>Results/findings:<br />
The interviews indicated that people in Gaza use three main categories to describe their traumatic experiences: sadma, faji’ah, and musiba. The study also identified local idioms of distress associated with mental ill-health conditions. The relationships among these terms and their meanings are the focus of this article. The study also identified some local expressions used to describe mental suffering and mental ill-health conditions. These idioms are commonly used and are culturally accepted.</p>
<p>Conclusions:<br />
The most widely used frameworks for assessing the psychological suffering of individuals exposed to war, torture, and political violence have centered on the construct of PTSD When applied to non-Western contexts, this approach has given rise to at least two different critiques. The construct of PTSD captures only one aspect of the complex responses of people suffering from recurrent trauma. Collective exposure to trauma and culturally distinctive meanings of trauma may be associated with diverse health outcomes that may require different intervention approaches to address both individual and community levels of distress. The results of this pilot study suggest that the everyday idioms, social representations, and meanings of trauma in the Gaza Strip can be classified into three main types according to the severity and duration of the events, the symptoms associated with the experience, the patterns of resort to treatment, and the potential long-term reactions</p>
<p>Purpose:<br /> the present study was designed to investigate the social representations of trauma and ways in which trauma is defined (i.e., meanings assigned to trauma) and acted on (i.e., reactions or responses) among Palestinians living in protracted conflict situations in the Gaza Strip. Examining potential cultural variations may have implications for the definition of trauma in the current psychiatric nosology, as well as for the design and delivery of clinical and community interventions</p> <p>Methods:<br /> This is a qualitative exploratory study employing ethnographic interviews with key informants. The interview used a semi structured questionnaire composed of open-ended questions. Informants were asked to describe their daily life and current events in the Gaza Strip. Specific questions elicited local expressions of distress, the meaning of traumatic experiences, the nature of coping strategies, and ways of healing practiced by Palestinians</p> <p>Results/findings:<br /> The interviews indicated that people in Gaza use three main categories to describe their traumatic experiences: sadma, faji’ah, and musiba. The study also identified local idioms of distress associated with mental ill-health conditions. The relationships among these terms and their meanings are the focus of this article. The study also identified some local expressions used to describe mental suffering and mental ill-health conditions. These idioms are commonly used and are culturally accepted.</p> <p>Conclusions:<br /> The most widely used frameworks for assessing the psychological suffering of individuals exposed to war, torture, and political violence have centered on the construct of PTSD When applied to non-Western contexts, this approach has given rise to at least two different critiques. The construct of PTSD captures only one aspect of the complex responses of people suffering from recurrent trauma. Collective exposure to trauma and culturally distinctive meanings of trauma may be associated with diverse health outcomes that may require different intervention approaches to address both individual and community levels of distress. The results of this pilot study suggest that the everyday idioms, social representations, and meanings of trauma in the Gaza Strip can be classified into three main types according to the severity and duration of the events, the symptoms associated with the experience, the patterns of resort to treatment, and the potential long-term reactions</p>
<p>Purpose:<br /> the present study was designed to investigate the social representations of trauma and ways in which trauma is defined (i.e., meanings assigned to trauma) and acted on (i.e., reactions or responses) among Palestinians living in protracted conflict situations in the Gaza Strip. Examining potential cultural variations may have implications for the definition of trauma in the current psychiatric nosology, as well as for the design and delivery of clinical and community interventions</p> <p>Methods:<br /> This is a qualitative exploratory study employing ethnographic interviews with key informants. The interview used a semi structured questionnaire composed of open-ended questions. Informants were asked to describe their daily life and current events in the Gaza Strip. Specific questions elicited local expressions of distress, the meaning of traumatic experiences, the nature of coping strategies, and ways of healing practiced by Palestinians</p> <p>Results/findings:<br /> The interviews indicated that people in Gaza use three main categories to describe their traumatic experiences: sadma, faji’ah, and musiba. The study also identified local idioms of distress associated with mental ill-health conditions. The relationships among these terms and their meanings are the focus of this article. The study also identified some local expressions used to describe mental suffering and mental ill-health conditions. These idioms are commonly used and are culturally accepted.</p> <p>Conclusions:<br /> The most widely used frameworks for assessing the psychological suffering of individuals exposed to war, torture, and political violence have centered on the construct of PTSD When applied to non-Western contexts, this approach has given rise to at least two different critiques. The construct of PTSD captures only one aspect of the complex responses of people suffering from recurrent trauma. Collective exposure to trauma and culturally distinctive meanings of trauma may be associated with diverse health outcomes that may require different intervention approaches to address both individual and community levels of distress. The results of this pilot study suggest that the everyday idioms, social representations, and meanings of trauma in the Gaza Strip can be classified into three main types according to the severity and duration of the events, the symptoms associated with the experience, the patterns of resort to treatment, and the potential long-term reactions</p>