Psychotherapy in the Kurdistan region of Iraq (KRI): Preferences and expectations of the Kurdish host community, internally displaced- and Syrian refugee community.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The Kurdish Region of Iraq (KRI) is home to Kurds, internally displaced persons, and Syrian refugees. In the last decades, its inhabitants have witnessed a great deal of political instability, which has led to increased rates of psychological distress. Mental illness contrasts with limited access to and availability of mental health services - and so the treatment gap remains high. This study aims to investigate the perspectives, perceptions, and expectations of Syrian refugees, internally displaced persons and KRI host community members concerning mental health care in the governorate of Duhok. Attitudes and perspectives regarding psychotherapy, such as satisfaction with services, effects of therapy, bias toward therapy, and stigma, are explored. METHODS: One hundred one participants were recruited from hospitals, clinical settings, and institutions from the governorate of Duhok in the KRI. Participants received the Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ) and were asked to evaluate services through four subscales: patient satisfaction, effects of therapy, bias toward therapy, and stigma. RESULTS: Results revealed overall high satisfaction with services and effects of therapy. In contrast, both bias and stigma subscales were rated more ambivalently. CONCLUSION: Patient satisfaction is key for assessing health care quality, understanding attitudes toward therapy, and help-seeking behavior. Results offer insight for stakeholders in the psychosocial field allowing for a better understanding and improvement of availability and access to quality-driven mental health care services.

Psychotherapy in Jordan: An Investigation of the Host and Syrian Refugee Community's Perspectives.

Little is known about patient satisfaction, bias, stigma, and the effects of psychotherapy within the Kingdom of Jordan or the Arab world in general. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of both the Jordanian host and refugee community members from the psychotherapeutic services offered at various mental health care settings in Jordan. A sample of 100 patients who received psychosocial expert interventions was recruited between October and December 2017 in Amman, Jordan. Participants were either from the host or Syrian refugee community or contacted through multiple organizations working in the mental health field. The Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire, which consists of four subscales covering 1) patient satisfaction, 2) bias toward therapy, 3) effects of therapy, and 4) stigma, was administered. As a means of investigation and exploration, descriptive statistics of participant responses are displayed. Results revealed overall high rates of satisfaction with provided services and perceived benefits of psychotherapeutic interventions. However, respondents showed ambivalence regarding bias and stigma. Subsample analyses indicated no significant differences between both communities. These findings give an understanding of perceptions surrounding psychotherapy in Jordan and some insights on therapeutic processes that may be useful for clinical applications and future research.

A criminal tribunal and a wide-ranging reparation programme is necessary for the victims of sexual violence and torture in Iraq.

The frequency and extreme nature of sexual violence committed in Iraq, primarily by the self-declared Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) from 2014 onwards, has shocked the international community. Now, four years later, victory over ISIL has been proclaimed but addressing past atrocities and their consequences has barely begun. There is a wide discrepancy between Iraq's human rights obligations, stressed by the United Nations (UN), and the reality on the ground, shaped by the Iraqi authorities. The present paper aims to highlight this discrepancy by providing an overview of the crimes committed, their qualification under international law, and the efforts of Iraqi authorities to punish those responsible. It will also discuss legal frameworks and the role of the UN, before positing some possible solutions. Object of the inquiry. The primary object of this inquiry is the conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) that has taken place in Iraq since 2014. The term CRSV is used in the international discourse to designate sexual violence occurring during or following armed conflict. UN bodies have set a gravity threshold for defining CRSV-incidents or patterns of acts of sexual violence such as "rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, enforced sterilization, or any other form of sexual violence of comparable gravity" (UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict, 2011, p. 3).

The temporal relationship between mental health and disability after injury.

OBJECTIVE: This longitudinal study investigated the temporal relationship patterns between disability and mental health after injury, with a focus on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. METHOD: We conducted a multi-sited longitudinal cohort study with a large sample of hospital patients admitted after injury (N = 1,149, mean age = 37.9, 73.6% male). Data were collected prior to discharge from hospital, and follow-up assessments took place 3 and 12 months postinjury. A cross-lagged structural equation model (SEM) was used to assess the prospective relationship between posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms and disability while controlling for demographic characteristics and objective measures of injury severity. RESULTS: Acute depression significantly predicted 3-month disability, and 3-month PTSD severity significantly predicted 12-month disability. Premorbid disability had a significant effect on acute anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms, and 3-month depression but disability after the injury did not predict 12-month psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS: We did not find a reciprocal relationship between disability and psychopathology. Rather we found that depression played a role in early disability while PTSD played a role in contributing to long-term delays in the recovery process. The results of this study highlight the need for mental health screening for symptoms of PTSD and depression in the acute aftermath of trauma, combined with early intervention programs in injury populations.