Article Version of Record

"I have never worked with victims so victimized": Political trauma and the challenges of psychosocial interventions in Ecuador

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Donoso, Gina

Abstract / Description

This contribution aims at investigating critically how and to what extent psychosocial interventions are key elements of comprehensive subjective recovery from political trauma. The paper is based on the analysed data collected during a research project in Ecuador from eighteen in-depth interviews with clinical and social psychologists who had direct and indirect work experience with political trauma survivors, and thirty-seven survivors who were invited to participate in focus groups sessions based on a voluntary basis. The analysis questions which elements psychotherapy and other forms of reparative processes should take into account to address victims of political trauma in an effective and sensitive practice. The study´s main conclusions are that trauma survivors are affected by secondary victimization and their comprehensive recovery is drastically diminished because of: (1) lack of awareness of the need of political trauma approaches; (2) psychosocial reductionisms on the interconnection between the subjective and the political; and (3) psychologisation of political issues.

Keyword(s)

political trauma psychosocial interventions Lacanian Other Ignacio Martín Baró reparations human rights

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2018-09-17

Journal title

Journal of Social and Political Psychology

Volume

6

Issue

2

Page numbers

420–448

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Donoso, G. (2018). "I have never worked with victims so victimized": Political trauma and the challenges of psychosocial interventions in Ecuador. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(2), 420–448. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i2.928
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Donoso, Gina
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-26T12:45:18Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-26T12:45:18Z
  • Date of first publication
    2018-09-17
  • Abstract / Description
    This contribution aims at investigating critically how and to what extent psychosocial interventions are key elements of comprehensive subjective recovery from political trauma. The paper is based on the analysed data collected during a research project in Ecuador from eighteen in-depth interviews with clinical and social psychologists who had direct and indirect work experience with political trauma survivors, and thirty-seven survivors who were invited to participate in focus groups sessions based on a voluntary basis. The analysis questions which elements psychotherapy and other forms of reparative processes should take into account to address victims of political trauma in an effective and sensitive practice. The study´s main conclusions are that trauma survivors are affected by secondary victimization and their comprehensive recovery is drastically diminished because of: (1) lack of awareness of the need of political trauma approaches; (2) psychosocial reductionisms on the interconnection between the subjective and the political; and (3) psychologisation of political issues.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Donoso, G. (2018). "I have never worked with victims so victimized": Political trauma and the challenges of psychosocial interventions in Ecuador. Journal of Social and Political Psychology, 6(2), 420–448. https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i2.928
    en_US
  • ISSN
    2195-3325
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/1475
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1776
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/jspp.v6i2.928
  • Keyword(s)
    political trauma
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    psychosocial interventions
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Lacanian Other
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    Ignacio Martín Baró
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    reparations
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    human rights
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    "I have never worked with victims so victimized": Political trauma and the challenges of psychosocial interventions in Ecuador
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    2
  • Journal title
    Journal of Social and Political Psychology
  • Page numbers
    420–448
  • Volume
    6
  • zpid.relation.hasequivalent
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.6155
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record