Mental Health Resources

Torture survivors engage in psychological services to pursue a wide range of goals, from single symptom reduction to addressing the complex effects of torture on their families and communities. Psychological effects of torture vary considerably. Likewise, there is wide variation in the types of assistance sought to address such effects, depending on a host of factors ranging from service accessibility to beliefs about health and healing.

530 Resources Available

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Ambiguous loss of home: Syrian refugees and the process of losing and remaking home

Social Services Resources

Torture occurs within a cultural and social context. It breaks the connections between individuals and their social environment. It separates the bonds of communities. Social work interventions, therefore, are directed at individuals, their families and immediate environments, community, social, and functional groups, and policies and systems. These are accomplished through direct service, resource development, community interventions, education and training, research, and public policy work.

334 Resources Available

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Ambiguous loss of home: Syrian refugees and the process of losing and remaking home

Legal Resources

Attorneys encounter torture survivors with a variety of legal needs. Frequently, however, the survivor’s initial and most pressing legal problem involves immigration matters, such as asylum, family reunification, or defense from removal (deportation). Because safety is crucial to the survivor’s ability to engage fully in torture treatment services, the asylum process is integral to rehabilitation.

334 Resources Available

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Corrective Political Experiences: Psychological Impacts of Public Testimony for Survivors of Torture

Medical Resources

Survivors of torture often present for care in medical settings, and sometimes in torture treatment programs. The medical portion of HealTorture.org is primarily, but not exclusively, geared to primary care providers (PCPs), including family doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Other staff members in medical settings such as nurses and medical assistants can also facilitate survivors’ healing. Survivors frequently present to gynecologists (due to genital trauma, pelvic pain, etc.), cardiologists (persistent chest pain), gastroenterologists (persistent abdominal pain), and neurologists (intractable headaches and history of traumatic brain injury). Many survivors have gotten great relief of symptoms from physical therapists and practitioners of yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

603 Resources Available

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COVID-19 – Where We are and the Path Ahead

Integrative Care Resources

topic term description lorem porttitor, lacus id pretium fermentum, dolor nisl pharetra lectus, rhoncus rhoncus enim nisl non nibh. Nullam vel arcu luctus, iaculis eros feugiat, varius augue. Aliquam in ligula a dolor.

20 Resources Available

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Improving Well-Being for Refugees in Primary Care: A Toolkit for Providers

Administration Resources

Resources for practitioners in operations and administration who are serving survivors of torture are as follows: development, integrated care, evaluation, technology, training, working with interpreters, and self-care.

368 Resources Available

Browse all Administration Resources

The Great Resignation and its Impact on SOT Programs: A Way Forward

Mental Health Resources

Torture survivors engage in psychological services to pursue a wide range of goals, from single symptom reduction to addressing the complex effects of torture on their families and communities. Psychological effects of torture vary considerably. Likewise, there is wide variation in the types of assistance sought to address such effects, depending on a host of factors ranging from service accessibility to beliefs about health and healing.

530 Resources Available

Browse all Mental Health Resources

Ambiguous loss of home: Syrian refugees and the process of losing and remaking home

Social Services Resources

Torture occurs within a cultural and social context. It breaks the connections between individuals and their social environment. It separates the bonds of communities. Social work interventions, therefore, are directed at individuals, their families and immediate environments, community, social, and functional groups, and policies and systems. These are accomplished through direct service, resource development, community interventions, education and training, research, and public policy work.

334 Resources Available

Browse all Social Services Resources

Ambiguous loss of home: Syrian refugees and the process of losing and remaking home

Legal Resources

Attorneys encounter torture survivors with a variety of legal needs. Frequently, however, the survivor’s initial and most pressing legal problem involves immigration matters, such as asylum, family reunification, or defense from removal (deportation). Because safety is crucial to the survivor’s ability to engage fully in torture treatment services, the asylum process is integral to rehabilitation.

334 Resources Available

Browse all Legal Resources

Corrective Political Experiences: Psychological Impacts of Public Testimony for Survivors of Torture

Medical Resources

Survivors of torture often present for care in medical settings, and sometimes in torture treatment programs. The medical portion of HealTorture.org is primarily, but not exclusively, geared to primary care providers (PCPs), including family doctors, internists, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. Other staff members in medical settings such as nurses and medical assistants can also facilitate survivors’ healing. Survivors frequently present to gynecologists (due to genital trauma, pelvic pain, etc.), cardiologists (persistent chest pain), gastroenterologists (persistent abdominal pain), and neurologists (intractable headaches and history of traumatic brain injury). Many survivors have gotten great relief of symptoms from physical therapists and practitioners of yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

603 Resources Available

Browse all Medical Resources

COVID-19 – Where We are and the Path Ahead

Integrative Care Resources

topic term description lorem porttitor, lacus id pretium fermentum, dolor nisl pharetra lectus, rhoncus rhoncus enim nisl non nibh. Nullam vel arcu luctus, iaculis eros feugiat, varius augue. Aliquam in ligula a dolor.

20 Resources Available

Browse all Integrative Care Resources

Improving Well-Being for Refugees in Primary Care: A Toolkit for Providers

Administration Resources

Resources for practitioners in operations and administration who are serving survivors of torture are as follows: development, integrated care, evaluation, technology, training, working with interpreters, and self-care.

368 Resources Available

Browse all Administration Resources

The Great Resignation and its Impact on SOT Programs: A Way Forward

Controlled Trial of Psychotherapy for Congolese Survivors of Sexual Violence

Original Publication Date: October 28, 2014

Last Updated: February 15, 2023

Estimated Read Time: < 1 minutes

Torture survivors are frequently survivors of sexual assault as well. In this trial in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 16 villages either received cognitive processing therapy (1 individual session and 11 group sessions) or individual support to female sexual-violence survivors with high levels of PTSD symptoms and combined depression and anxiety symptoms. Group psychotherapy reduced PTSD symptoms and combined depression and anxiety symptoms and improved functioning. The specific type of group therapy used, cognitive processing therapy, was adapted for “illiterate participants and those potentially exposed to ongoing violence. The adaptations included an initial individual psychoeducational session, oral completion of assignments during group sessions, and simplification of materials to facilitate understanding and memorization”.

The full article is available for free from the New England Journal of Medicine.

http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1211853#t=articleTop

Additional Resources