Rehabilitating torture survivors
Refugees have often been exposed to torture in their countries of origin. A core issue is the resulting multifaceted presentation of somatic, psychological and social problems in the same individual, leading to severe activity limitations and participation restrictions. An international conference, “Rehabilitating Torture Survivors”, was organized by the Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (a rehabilitation clinic and global knowledge and research centre with government support) in collaboration with the Centre for Transcultural Psychiatry at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December 2008.
Author: Sjölund, Bengt H. | Kastrup, Marianne | Montgomery, Edith | Persson, Ann L.
RCT Author: Edith Montgomery,
Ann PerssonRCT Author (No longer employed at RCT): Bengt H. Sjölund
Source: Journal of rehabilitation medicine ;
vol. 41, no. 9 - Conference:
Rehabilitating torture
survivors (20081203-20081205 :
Copenhagen)
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The main topics were: the context of torture;
mental problems including psychotherapy; internet-based therapy and
pharmacotherapy; chronic pain; social integration and family; and
functioning and rehabilitation. Available evidence highlights the
importance of an interdisciplinary approach to rehabilitation, but
scientifically rigorous studies of comprehensive rehabilitation
programmes for torture survivors are lacking.
Therefore, effect studies are urgently warranted. Nevertheless,
by combining expertise from different scientific and professional
areas, important elements in the problems of torture
survivors can be addressed from an evidence base generated both
from traumatized and non-traumatized patient populations. Thus,
trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy and/or eye movement
desensitization and reprocessing, as well as interdisciplinary pain
rehabilitation, should be components of a successful rehabilitation
process, and great attention should be paid to contextual
components.