|
|
|||
|
|
|
||
|
WORLD ISLAMIC
ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH
Vol. I, No. II, Second Issue, December 1998
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
|
|||
|
q
CONTENTS / SOMMAIRE
|
|||
q
Message From the Secretary General / SECOND INTERNATIONAL
CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD ISLAMIC ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TUZLA 15-16
AUGUST 1999.
|
|||
|
q SUMMARY / RESUMES |
|||
q
Message From the
Secretary General / SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE WORLD ISLAMIC
ASSOCIATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH IN
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA TUZLA 15-16 AUGUST 1999.
The World Islamic
Association For Mental Health and the International Center For Psychological
Trauma of the University of Missouri-Columbia are sponsoring The Second
International Conference on Postwar Mental Health Issues in Bosnia and
Herzegovina to be held in Tuzla, August 15-16, 1999.
The First
International Conference on Post War Mental Health Issues in Bosnia and
Herzegovina was held on March 11, and 12, 1996 in Sarayevo, Bosnia and
Herzegovina. The purpose of the
conference was to bring together local and international experts in the field
of mental health to identify mental health issues prevalent to Bosnia at that
time, and to bring together various governmental and non-governmental
agencies working with war traumatized children, In Bosnia and
Herzegovina. There was
representation from 35 agencies and 40 international experts participated. Recommendations
made by that conference were widely distributed to all parties participants
and governmental agencies. Many
issues identified and concerns expressed by the participants, unfortunately
have come to pass during the following two years.
Incidence of depression and suicide have increased. Substance abuse and domestic violence
are being reported more frequently among returning soldiers.
The purpose of the present conference is to bring together
international experts in the field of mental health to achieve the following.
1)
Identify and assess prevalence rates of psychiatric disorders among
survivors of rape and victims of torture.
2)
Preplanning and planning in process of a mental health plan to meet
the current needs of the postwar Mental Health Issues in Bosnia and
Herzegovina.
3)
Evaluation of outcome of the previous International conferences on
post war Mental Health Issues in Bosnia and Herzegovina as an integral part
of policy making. TUZLA furnishes a classical laboratory
situation for the study of Post war Mental Health Issues. Its people were often repeatedly
displaced or interned in camps and either experienced or witnessed rape and /
or torture.
In response to our
request for members of the world Islamic Association for Mental Health to
suggest themes for the Second International conference on Postwar
Mental Health Issuess In Bosnia And Herzegovina: to be held in Tuzla
15-16 August 1999 we got the following responses:
Some of the themes,
which are being suggested, are:
1)
Prognosis of traumatized children:
Will they
necessarily develop dissociative identity disorders in their future life? How
can we prevent this from happening?
Some pessimist
researchers of children with Psychosocial trauma have suggested that: “To be
a witness of violence is to be a victim of violence”. Do we find this to be
true with traumatized children in Bosnia? Hope not. However, there is need for a follow-up study.
2) We
also suggest a great need for scientific study to elucidate the transition
from individual trauma story to dysfunction of a community.
There is more to
this impairment of community life than is explained by the sum of experiences
and responses of the individuals composing them. There is a disruption in the fabric of cultural life that
cannot be explained by documenting each singular traumatic story. Thus, Post-traumatic
Community Impairment is its own entity, defined by the disruption in
cultural norms, in the sense of collective past, present and future, and in
the very expectation of social order, in communities suffering the trauma of
war, deprivation and forced displacement. Did this happen in Bosnia?
Some research conducted in
Kuwait showed the positive effects of traumatization on the community. The stresses of the Gulf War resulted
in more social cohesion.
The key returning
to meaningful community life lies in learning how to repair the frayed
community life.
3) Some
colleagues suggest that there is a great need for Estimating the Prevalence
of Mental Disorders in Bosnian Adults and Children.
It would seem
logical that the enormous amount of stress and emotional suffering implied in
the Bosnian war would result in an increase of mental illness. Dr. Arshad Hussein noticed that
incidence of depression and suicides have increased.
However, recently a German Psychoanalyst and existential analyst, Dr.
Muller-Eckhard, devoted a book to repressed illness and to what he called
“the sof not being able to be sick”, a phenomenon which he illustrated with
interesting case studies.
Repression and inhibition of mental illness may account for certain
phenomena for which no satisfactory explanation has been found as yet. One of them is the decrease of the
incidence of mental disease during wars and other big political and social
upheavals. It would seem logical that mental illness would significantly
increase during wars due to the high amount of stress. But statistics have definitely shown
the reverse.
Dr. Gamal abou El-Azayem noticed that phobias, anxiety and obsessions
decreased during wars. During the Franco-German war of 1870-1871, world war
I, world war II and many other wars it has constantly been observed that
mental illness decreased in frequency and then climbed back to the peacetime
average after the war is over.
Some colleagues would disagree with this. Although we do not believe
in anticipating disaster these colleagues predict that mental illness will
increase in Bosnia after the war.
In their letter they predicted a doomsday scenario “ After Trauma is
over, there will be more child abuse.
There will be more spouse abuse”. Reason is, the anger will be turned inwards”.
However, the above issues have to be assessed by epidemiological
studies.
4)
The various responses of our colleagues displayed that there is a
great need to promote population based and culturally appropriate means of
evaluation and care for traumatized population of Bosnia. Their conclusions, including reliance
on psychoeducation as a basic tool in treatment, focused on realistic,
non-stigmatizing, and culturally sensitive interventions.
All Enquiries for
Second International Conference on Postwar Mental Health Issues In Bosnia And
Herzegovina: should be addressed to:
HIS EXELLENCY
OSMAN SINANOVIC, MD, Ph.d. MINISTER OF HEALTH, TUZLA CANTON
TUZLA
BOSNIA AND
HERZEGOVINA
FAX : ++387 75/282-448
WIAMH WEBSITE
Congratulations to
WIAMH
members Submit your e-mail- and let WIAMH update your mental health
knowledge for FREE.
You can reach this
global service on: http://www.e-wtc.com /emrc/wiamh.htm
This global service is being carried through English and
Arabic as mediums of instruction.
This Is The First Website To Disseminate Mental Health Information
Through Arabic: Worldwide.
This project was
initiated in 1997 by the president elect of WFMH, Dr. Ahmed Abou El Azayem,
to support the establishment of informations services for all the members of
EMRC
and can be reached on: www.e-wtc/emrc
Dr. Ahmad Abou
El-Azayem has to commended for his pioneer efforts.
DR. GAMAL ABU EL AZAYEM DR. FAROUK EL-SENDIONY
|
|||