Cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations: A scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Armed conflicts and natural disasters can cause significant psychological and social challenges for affected populations. Displaced populations are extremely heterogeneous in terms of culture, language, and experiences of crises. Current diagnostic criteria is insufficient when evaluating the symptoms and treatment of mental health issues across contexts. AIM: This scoping review presents information about cultural idioms of distress across displaced populations. The review includes aspects of etiology, symptomology, and proposed intervention methods. METHODS: I conducted a Boolean search of academic and grey literature for studies that described cultural idioms of distress among displaced populations. Results were analyzed using thematic analysis and grounded theory. RESULTS: A shared sense of injustice, spirit possession, and karma are common etiologies for mental distress among displaced populations. Symptoms include somatic complaints, 'thinking a lot', and interpersonal challenges such as social isolation and a fear of others. Potential interventions are likely on a community-level, including the generation of community mechanisms for conflict-resolution, reconciliation, and culturally grounded healing rituals. CONCLUSIONS: It is vital to understand the ways displaced communities conceptualize their mental health in order to develop appropriate culturally grounded interventions. Understanding the etiology, symptoms, and proposed interventions can inform and improve humanitarian aid delivery of mental health and psychosocial support services.

A articulação da experiência dos usuários nas microculturas dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial: uma proposta metodológica / The articulation of users’ experience in the microcultures of psychosocial health centers: a methodological proposal

O objetivo primordial do presente artigo é apresentar uma metodologia de avaliação de centros de atenção psicossocial, enfocando seu componente qualitativo e multidimensional, e etapas de progressivo aprofundamento, a partir das perspectivas de usuários, familiares e profissionais. A proposta metodológica apresentada e discutida a seguir foi desenvolvida a partir da pesquisa intitulada “Articulando experiências, produzindo sujeitos e incluindo cidadãos: um estudo sobre as novas formas de cuidado em saúde mental na Bahia e em Sergipe, Brasil”, realizada entre os anos de 2006 e 2009. Na construção do desenho metodológico desse estudo, percebemos que, para avaliar a qualidade de um serviço, é necessário congregar conceitos e técnicas diversos que nos permitam uma abordagem que responda à complexidade da tarefa de nos aproximar da experiência (através de suas expressões e produções de significados) dos atores sociais envolvidos, bem como identifique recursos psicossociais presentes nos CAPS e utilizados pelos usuários para significar sua experiência de sofrimento, articulada por “pontos de virada”.(AU)

This article’s main objective is to present and discuss a methodology for the evaluation of psychosocial health centers, focused on qualitative and multidimensional elements, and steps towards a progressively deeper understanding, from the perspectives of users, family members and professionals. The present methodological proposal was developed for the research “Articulating experiences, producing subjects and including citizens: a study on the new forms of mental health care in Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil”, realized between 2006 and 2009. While constructing the methodological design, we sensed that, in order to evaluate the quality of a service, it would be necessary to congregate various concepts and techniques to allow us to address the complexity of the task of approaching the involved social agents’ experience (through its expressions and sense productions), as well as identify psychosocial resources available in the CAPS and employed by users to signify their experience of suffering, articulated around “turning points”.(AU)

A articulação da experiência dos usuários nas microculturas dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial: uma proposta metodológica / The articulation of users’ experience in the microcultures of psychosocial health centers: a methodological proposal

O objetivo primordial do presente artigo é apresentar uma metodologia de avaliação de centros de atenção psicossocial, enfocando seu componente qualitativo e multidimensional, e etapas de progressivo aprofundamento, a partir das perspectivas de usuários, familiares e profissionais. A proposta metodológica apresentada e discutida a seguir foi desenvolvida a partir da pesquisa intitulada “Articulando experiências, produzindo sujeitos e incluindo cidadãos: um estudo sobre as novas formas de cuidado em saúde mental na Bahia e em Sergipe, Brasil”, realizada entre os anos de 2006 e 2009. Na construção do desenho metodológico desse estudo, percebemos que, para avaliar a qualidade de um serviço, é necessário congregar conceitos e técnicas diversos que nos permitam uma abordagem que responda à complexidade da tarefa de nos aproximar da experiência (através de suas expressões e produções de significados) dos atores sociais envolvidos, bem como identifique recursos psicossociais presentes nos CAPS e utilizados pelos usuários para significar sua experiência de sofrimento, articulada por “pontos de virada”

This article’s main objective is to present and discuss a methodology for the evaluation of psychosocial health centers, focused on qualitative and multidimensional elements, and steps towards a progressively deeper understanding, from the perspectives of users, family members and professionals. The present methodological proposal was developed for the research “Articulating experiences, producing subjects and including citizens: a study on the new forms of mental health care in Bahia and Sergipe, Brazil”, realized between 2006 and 2009. While constructing the methodological design, we sensed that, in order to evaluate the quality of a service, it would be necessary to congregate various concepts and techniques to allow us to address the complexity of the task of approaching the involved social agents’ experience (through its expressions and sense productions), as well as identify psychosocial resources available in the CAPS and employed by users to signify their experience of suffering, articulated around “turning points”