Something in our hearts”

Purpose This paper aims to examine the long‐term mental health consequences of war from the perspectives of urban Mayan women in post‐war Guatemala. Design/methodology/approach Ethnographic methodologies, namely participant observation and in‐depth qualitative interviews were carried out during 12 months of fieldwork in Guatemala City. Findings The findings indicate that urban indigenous women confront a range of unresolved war‐related traumas and psychosocial distress that require specific attention by researchers, policy makers and service providers. It is argued that psychosocial interventions aimed at addressing the traumas of war must take into account present day conditions of post‐war violence, poverty, and social inequity that threaten the health and well‐being of indigenous peoples. Practical implications Recommendations are provided for promoting the mental health of urban indigenous women affected by war. Originality/value Research that has been conducted on the mental health effects of war has tended to focus on rural areas of the country. This article advances the research on post‐war Guatemala through a focus on urban Mayan indigenous women

Economic growth · Ethnography · Focus group · Indigenous · Mental health · Originality · Participant observation · Political science · Poverty · Psychiatry · Psychological intervention · Psychosocial · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Global Security and Public Health · Health and Conflict Studies · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Psychology

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