A classroom based intervention in conflict affected Poso, Indonesia: synthesising lessons learned from research and practice. Issue 1 (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Susanty, Dessy; Jordans, Mark J. D.; Irmayani, Rima; Tol, Wietse A.
• Is Part Of: Intervention. Volume 14:Issue 1(2016:Mar.)
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: classroom based intervention -- communal violence -- psychosocial and mental health intervention; Psychiatric social work -- Periodicals; Refugees -- Mental health services -- Periodicals; Mental health counseling -- Periodicals; Armed conflict; Mental Health Services -- Periodicals; Refugees -- Periodicals; War -- Periodicals; Counseling -- Periodicals; Social Work, Psychiatric; Service social psychiatrique -- Périodiques; Réfugiés -- Santé mentale, Services de -- Périodiques; Counseling -- Santé mentale -- Périodiques; Mental health counseling; Psychiatric social work; Refugees -- Mental health services; Periodicals; 362.20425
• DOI: 10.1097/WTF.0000000000000096
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1571-8883

Abstract

Abstract : This paper describes lessons learned from a classroom based intervention, which was implemented in the post conflict area of Poso, Indonesia. These lessons are drawn from qualitative research and a randomised controlled trial in the area, as well as data from our own programme monitoring and evaluation. We describe these lessons learned from a socio-ecological perspective, making recommendations to strengthen the classroom based intervention's connection with critical mental health and psychosocial issues relevant at individual, family and wider community levels. Lessons learned include: the need for further adaptations to address local somatic expressions of psychological distress; consideration of changes at the cognitive level; a need for gender specific activities; engaging families in school based interventions; and addressing the damage to the wider social fabric, including at peer level. The engagement of trained paraprofessional health care is also discussed as an essential consideration.