Sunday, March 16, 2008

Meeting psychosocial needs in developing countries

Does it make sense to treat depression and anxiety in contexts where people are struggling to get their basic needs met? Aren't depression and anxiety just Western constructs anyway? If people cannot afford necessities how are they supposed to afford a psychiatrist?

The following article speaks to these questions and presents preliminary findings in a study conducted in India. Turns out that anxiety is a universal human experience, and that being supported and heard is universally therapeutic. Stressed out people can be helped by someone with basic training; they don't need an expensive psychiatrist.

This is great news, given the extreme psychosocial needs of people who have suffered the losses associated with conflict and poverty. It is also great news for humanitarian agencies or other companies who are concerned with preventing burnout and trauma reactions in their staff.

It is my belief that a group support model would be even more effective than a one-on-one model. More on this later.

Read about this here.

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