Eric Broekaert
Biographic Data
| ID | 119177 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Eric Broekaert |
| GIVEN NAMES | Eric |
| FAMILY NAME | Broekaert |
| SIGNATURE | BROEKAERT E |
| AFFILIATIONS | Ghent University |
| VERIFIED | No |
| TOTAL WORKS | 43 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 169 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 43 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2000 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2020 |
| H-INDEX | 7 |
The Impact of Avoidant/Disengagement Coping and Social Support on the Mental Health of Adolescent Victims of Sexual Violence in Eastern Congo
These results of this study underwrite to the importance of looking beyond the straightforward negative impact of avoidant/disengagement coping strategies on mental health in adolescent victims of sexual violence. While avoidant/disengagement coping can have a negative impact on psychosocial well-being on adolescent victims of sexual violence, in case of high levels of stigmatization it can as well protect them from posttraumatic stress or anxiet…
Return Migration and Psychosocial Wellbeing
Reflections on a Service User Perspective in Supporting Persons with Dual Diagnosis
From Social Instrument to Migration Management Tool
The return of migrants to their country of origin and the development of efficient return measures have become more prominent on the political agenda of many Western European countries. Since policymakers prefer ‘voluntary’ return, governmental programmes to support the return of migrants – Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programmes – were developed as far back as the 1970s and have played an increasingly important role in migration policy over t…
The boundaries of transnationalism
Few studies on transnationalism have focused on migrants who return to their country of origin with insufficient resources and limited mobility. This study sheds light on the transnational connections of those who went back to Georgia and Armenia from Belgium on a voluntary assisted return and reintegration programme. Using Boccagni's (2012) analytical framework, we reveal the returnees' interpersonal, institutional and symbolic transnational tie…
Influence of reconciliation programmes on the reconciliation attitudes of war-affected adolescents in Northern Uganda
Whether post-conflict reconciliation programmes are able to change hostile behaviours is not known. This study sought to assess the influence of reconciliation programmes on the reconciliation attitudes of war-affected adolescents in two communities in Northern Uganda. Four hundred and forty five adolescents within two communities, one with and the other without interventions were assessed for exposure to war-related and daily stressors and place…
Influence of reconciliation programmes on the reconciliation attitudes of war-affected adolescents in Northern Uganda
Whether post-conflict reconciliation programmes are able to change hostile behaviours is not known. This study sought to assess the influence of reconciliation programmes on the reconciliation attitudes of war-affected adolescents in two communities in Northern Uganda. Four hundred and forty five adolescents within two communities, one with and the other without interventions were assessed for exposure to war-related and daily stressors and place…
A Mixed-Methods Study of Former Child Soldiers’ Transition Trajectories From Military to Civilian Life
Child soldiering affects the well-being of thousands of young people globally and inflicts significant challenges on entire socio-ecological systems, confronting them with culminating stressful living conditions and immense loss. This study sought to explore how former child soldiers’ transition trajectories are shaped by the dynamic interplay between these encountered challenges and available personal and communal resources. We conducted and ana…
Dealing with Relational and Social Challenges After Child Soldiering
The reintegration of formerly recruited youth typically engenders a range of relational and social challenges, affecting both formerly recruited youth and the communities to which they return. Yet, research rarely studies the perspectives of community members, hampering the design of much‐needed community‐based interventions. This study aimed to understand how communities in northern Uganda experience and deal with relational and social challenge…
Multilayered Ethics in Research Involving Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Research articles about unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) have rarely addressed ethical issues. This is remarkable, given UM’s specific, marginalized and vulnerable position within society, and the growing interest and developments in research ethics in refugee research. This article poses the question whether studies involving UM raise specific ethical issues compared to research on other refugee groups. We formulate personal reflections on ethi…
The aspirations of Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors before departure and on arrival in the host country
This article explores the perspectives of Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors on their own motives and aspirations and on the motives and aspirations of their family and community context at the moment they left their home country and at arrival in the host country. Interviews and questionnaires were used to measure the aspirations of 52 Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors, soon after their arrival in Belgium. Aspirations at departure and evoluti…
Toward a culturally sensitive conceptualization of resilience
Resilience research with war-affected populations has long conceptualized resilience as the absence of psychopathology and operationalized it by use of standardized measures. However, literature on resilience increasingly highlights the importance of also including indicators of positively valued functioning as well as contextually sensitive indicators of resilience. This study used a participatory approach to examine the contextual conceptualiza…
Longitudinal follow-up of the mental health of unaccompanied refugee minors
The Lived Experiences of Migrants in Detention
The detention and deportation of (undocumented) non‐citizens has become one of the political priorities in the realisation of states' internal migration control. The increase in detention and deportation of migrants raises questions about these practices' implicit functions and their impact on the migrants subjected to detention. This paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the contemporary expansion of immigration detention by focusing …
Implementing evidence-supported methods in residential care and special education
Beyond child soldiering
Given the various developments in former child soldiers' psychosocial well-being over time, the question arises as to which factors are associated with the prevalence of psychological distress. An ongoing debate points to the plausible importance of child soldiering-related and post-child soldiering factors. This study is an exploratory analysis of both types of association with former child soldiers' psychosocial well-being in the longer term. F…
Profiles of quality of life in opiate-dependent individuals after starting methadone treatment
The voice of troubled youth
Returnees' Perspectives on Their Re‐migration Processes
The return of refugees and migrants back to their country of origin is an important topic on the agenda of Western European governments, as return is considered as the most “durable solution” for the “refugee problem”, and as an instrument with which to tackle “illegal” migration. However, these migration policies generally lack a clear evidence base, as little studies have focused on returnees' current living situations and on their perspectives…
Latent Personality Profiles and the Relations with Psychopathology and Psychopathic Traits in Detained Adolescents
Current quality of life and its determinants among opiate-dependent individuals five years after starting methadone treatment
Opiate-dependent individuals' QoL is mainly determined by their psychological well-being and a number of psychosocial variables. These findings highlight the importance of a holistic approach to treatment and support in methadone maintenance treatment, which goes beyond fixing the negative physical consequences of opiate dependence
Quality of life among opiate-dependent individuals
Psychosocial wellbeing in war-affected Eastern Congolese adolescents
Psychosocial wellbeing in war-affected Eastern Congolese adolescents
Despite remarkable advances made, the knowledge base on the mental health effects of war on children and adolescents remains restricted by certain limitations, e.g., geographic predominance, a trauma-focused approach, cross-cultural validity issues and limited usefulness for practitioners. In response to these limitations, this dissertation aims to assess the psychosocial wellbeing of war-affected adolescents in the Eastern Democratic Republic of…
Mental Health Problems in Separated Refugee Adolescents
Different perspectives on emotional and behavioural problems in unaccompanied refugee children and adolescents
Being unaccompanied is an important risk factor for the emotional well-being of refugee children and adolescents. Therefore, appropriate measures on reception and care should be taken in order to support these youths
The aspirations of Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors before departure and on arrival in the host country
This article explores the perspectives of Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors on their own motives and aspirations and on the motives and aspirations of their family and community context at the moment they left their home country and at arrival in the host country. Interviews and questionnaires were used to measure the aspirations of 52 Afghan unaccompanied refugee minors, soon after their arrival in Belgium. Aspirations at departure and evoluti…
Multilayered Ethics in Research Involving Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Research articles about unaccompanied refugee minors (UM) have rarely addressed ethical issues. This is remarkable, given UM’s specific, marginalized and vulnerable position within society, and the growing interest and developments in research ethics in refugee research. This article poses the question whether studies involving UM raise specific ethical issues compared to research on other refugee groups. We formulate personal reflections on ethi…
Returnees' Perspectives on Their Re‐migration Processes
The return of refugees and migrants back to their country of origin is an important topic on the agenda of Western European governments, as return is considered as the most “durable solution” for the “refugee problem”, and as an instrument with which to tackle “illegal” migration. However, these migration policies generally lack a clear evidence base, as little studies have focused on returnees' current living situations and on their perspectives…
From Social Instrument to Migration Management Tool
The return of migrants to their country of origin and the development of efficient return measures have become more prominent on the political agenda of many Western European countries. Since policymakers prefer ‘voluntary’ return, governmental programmes to support the return of migrants – Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) programmes – were developed as far back as the 1970s and have played an increasingly important role in migration policy over t…
The Lived Experiences of Migrants in Detention
The detention and deportation of (undocumented) non‐citizens has become one of the political priorities in the realisation of states' internal migration control. The increase in detention and deportation of migrants raises questions about these practices' implicit functions and their impact on the migrants subjected to detention. This paper aims to contribute to our understanding of the contemporary expansion of immigration detention by focusing …
On the Way to a Better Future
During the last decade, irregular border crossings emerged as a new element in international migratory flows, with smuggling and trafficking networks being an essential part. Many people are compelled to use these networks to realize their dream of a better living, and for many this “promised land” is the United Kingdom (UK). Belgium has important sea connections with the UK, and is, therefore, an important migration transit zone, although many m…
Toward a culturally sensitive conceptualization of resilience
Resilience research with war-affected populations has long conceptualized resilience as the absence of psychopathology and operationalized it by use of standardized measures. However, literature on resilience increasingly highlights the importance of also including indicators of positively valued functioning as well as contextually sensitive indicators of resilience. This study used a participatory approach to examine the contextual conceptualiza…
The voice of troubled youth
Minors Travelling Alone
Minors travelling without their parent(s) or guardian are an increasing phenomenon. Although their travel objectives might differ importantly, varying from holiday purposes to migration objectives, an important subgroup of them might be at risk to fall into exploitative circumstances, such as human trafficking. Studying the group of minors travelling alone arriving at Brussels Airport (Belgium), this research investigates the population's charact…
The Videotaped Addiction Challenge Tool
This article describes the different phases of the development and implementation of the Videotaped Addiction Challenge Tool (VACT, initially termed the Video Addiction Challenge Test). This instrument employs a video depicting the `average life‐story' of a resident of a Therapeutic Community for substance abusers. The video film is used as a clinical method for assessment and individual treatment planning, and as a research instrument that gives…
The boundaries of transnationalism
Few studies on transnationalism have focused on migrants who return to their country of origin with insufficient resources and limited mobility. This study sheds light on the transnational connections of those who went back to Georgia and Armenia from Belgium on a voluntary assisted return and reintegration programme. Using Boccagni's (2012) analytical framework, we reveal the returnees' interpersonal, institutional and symbolic transnational tie…
Therapeutic Communities, Family Therapy, and Humanistic Psychology
This article discusses the use of residential therapeutic communities (TCs) to help addicts recover. The European and American antecedents of the TC and the model’s further evolution and dispersion are described. The increasing openness of the TC toward the outside world and its changed attitude toward family involvement have played important roles in the evolution of the TC. In this context, the article also pays attention to the family approach…
An introduction to research on the social impact of the therapeutic community for addiction
An introduction to the issue of research on the social impact of the Therapeutic Community for Addiction (TC) is presented. The TC is argued to originate in 1957 in the California utopian community of Synanon, although earlier antecedents are recognised. The direct scientific influence on the development of Synanon is documented and traced to the discipline of sociology and the social research tradition. The breaking with the authoritarian style …
Exploratory Study on Drug Users' Perspectives on Quality of Life
How do substance abusers and their significant others experience the re‐entry phase of therapeutic community treatment
Transition to re‐entry (aftercare) is a stressful event for therapeutic community residents. While several authors agree on the importance of social support during reintegration, few studies have focused on the experiences of re‐entry clients themselves and their significant others during this period. Using a case‐study design, the present study examines the re‐entry process of four TC‐residents and three of their social network members during a …
Implementing evidence-supported methods in residential care and special education
Cultural responsiveness in substance‐abuse treatment
As a result of the growing number of ethnic and cultural minority clients in substance‐abuse treatment during the last decades, a culturally responsive approach has become more and more imperative. In this article the statements (n = 1330) of professionals (n = 11) and clients (n = 11) representing the substance‐abuse treatment centres in the region of Ghent and its suburbs (Belgium) are analysed. In focus are the specific treatment needs of ethn…
Improving social psychiatric treatment in residential programmes for emerging dependence groups in Europe
A mini‐symposium series of papers presenting the results of the European Commission‐supported Biomed II project is introduced. The project accomplished a cross‐border scientific networking engaging 31 European residential treatment programmes. The results showed that scientific development is best served by a flexible bureaucratic approach. ‘Old’ science and the ‘new’ science ways of working were balanced. ‘History’ and ‘social networks’ are the …
Retrospective Study of Similarities and Relations Between American Drug-Free and European Therapeutic Conmmnities for Children and Adults
This article focuses on the similarities and relations between the European therapeutic community for children and adults on the one hand and the American drug-free "concept" therapeutic community on the other. Both approaches are reviewed in a historical and comparative perspective with special attention to several critical issues: democracy versus hierarchy, self-help versus professionalism, psychoanalysis versus behaviorism and concept versus …
Improving social psychiatric treatment in residential programmes for emerging dependence groups in Europe
A mini‐symposium series of papers presenting the results of the European Commission‐supported Biomed II project is introduced. The project accomplished a cross‐border scientific networking engaging 31 European residential treatment programmes. The results showed that scientific development is best served by a flexible bureaucratic approach. ‘Old’ science and the ‘new’ science ways of working were balanced. ‘History’ and ‘social networks’ are the …
The Videotaped Addiction Challenge Tool
This article describes the different phases of the development and implementation of the Videotaped Addiction Challenge Tool (VACT, initially termed the Video Addiction Challenge Test). This instrument employs a video depicting the `average life‐story' of a resident of a Therapeutic Community for substance abusers. The video film is used as a clinical method for assessment and individual treatment planning, and as a research instrument that gives…
Towards the Integration of Treatment Systems for Substance Abusers
The central ideas of this article are the result of intensive discussions during a symposium that was organized following structural changes in European substance abuse treatment. Therapeutic communities were concerned about their approach being replaced by other treatment modalities. Participants focused on the question of whether the emerging harm reduction paradigm could be combined with the principle of recovery and how its integration in a c…
Cultural responsiveness in substance‐abuse treatment
As a result of the growing number of ethnic and cultural minority clients in substance‐abuse treatment during the last decades, a culturally responsive approach has become more and more imperative. In this article the statements (n = 1330) of professionals (n = 11) and clients (n = 11) representing the substance‐abuse treatment centres in the region of Ghent and its suburbs (Belgium) are analysed. In focus are the specific treatment needs of ethn…
An introduction to research on the social impact of the therapeutic community for addiction
An introduction to the issue of research on the social impact of the Therapeutic Community for Addiction (TC) is presented. The TC is argued to originate in 1957 in the California utopian community of Synanon, although earlier antecedents are recognised. The direct scientific influence on the development of Synanon is documented and traced to the discipline of sociology and the social research tradition. The breaking with the authoritarian style …
How do substance abusers and their significant others experience the re‐entry phase of therapeutic community treatment
Transition to re‐entry (aftercare) is a stressful event for therapeutic community residents. While several authors agree on the importance of social support during reintegration, few studies have focused on the experiences of re‐entry clients themselves and their significant others during this period. Using a case‐study design, the present study examines the re‐entry process of four TC‐residents and three of their social network members during a …
Post-traumatic stress in former Ugandan child soldiers
The Development of the Therapeutic Community in Correctional Establishments
Background: The correction-based therapeutic community (TC) is one of the most described treatment modalities for (substance abusing) incarcerated offenders. The origins and development of the therapeutic community have been traced back to two independent traditions: the American hierarchical conceptbased TC and the British democratic Maxwell Jones-type TC. Both branches have developed independently, targeting different people and tackling divers…
On the Way to a Better Future
During the last decade, irregular border crossings emerged as a new element in international migratory flows, with smuggling and trafficking networks being an essential part. Many people are compelled to use these networks to realize their dream of a better living, and for many this “promised land” is the United Kingdom (UK). Belgium has important sea connections with the UK, and is, therefore, an important migration transit zone, although many m…
Therapeutic Communities, Family Therapy, and Humanistic Psychology
This article discusses the use of residential therapeutic communities (TCs) to help addicts recover. The European and American antecedents of the TC and the model’s further evolution and dispersion are described. The increasing openness of the TC toward the outside world and its changed attitude toward family involvement have played important roles in the evolution of the TC. In this context, the article also pays attention to the family approach…
Comparing Psychological Distress, Traumatic Stress Reactions, and Experiences of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors With Experiences of Adolescents Accompanied by Parents
The objective of this study is to make comparisons of the severity of the psychological distress, behavioral problems and traumatic stress reactions, and experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) with immigrant/refugee (I/R) and Dutch (native) adolescents with parental caregivers (N = 3273). Self-report questionnaires were administered. Most assessments took place at school. URMs consistently reported significantly higher scores for inte…
Effectiveness of Different Models of Case Management for Substance-Abusing Populations
Case management has been implemented in substance abuse treatment to improve (cost-) effectiveness, but controversy exists about its potential to realize this objective. A systematic and comprehensive review of peer-reviewed articles (n = 48) published between 1993 and 2003 is presented, focusing on the effects of different models of case management among various substance-abusing populations. Results show that several studies have reported posit…
Different perspectives on emotional and behavioural problems in unaccompanied refugee children and adolescents
Being unaccompanied is an important risk factor for the emotional well-being of refugee children and adolescents. Therefore, appropriate measures on reception and care should be taken in order to support these youths
Max Weber and Alfred Schutz
The case-oriented quantification approach behind the software program winMAX is, according to its founder, Kuckartz, based on the methodological and theoretical work of Max Weber and Alfred Schutz. This claimed connection is not, however, explained in depth in the author's available scientific literature. This article clarifies the methodological and theoretical backgrounds to winMAX, with special focus on the influence of Weber and Schutz. It be…
Mental Health Problems in Separated Refugee Adolescents
Minors Travelling Alone
Minors travelling without their parent(s) or guardian are an increasing phenomenon. Although their travel objectives might differ importantly, varying from holiday purposes to migration objectives, an important subgroup of them might be at risk to fall into exploitative circumstances, such as human trafficking. Studying the group of minors travelling alone arriving at Brussels Airport (Belgium), this research investigates the population's charact…
Psychiatric disorders in property, violent, and versatile offending detained male adolescents
This study examines the past year prevalence rate of psychiatric disorders in detained male adolescents and the relation between psychiatric disorders and type of offending. The Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC-IV) was administered in a sample (N = 245) of male detained adolescents aged 12 to 17 years. Based on lifetime official criminal history, participants were classified into property, violent, and versatile subgroups. High ra…
Exploratory Study on Drug Users' Perspectives on Quality of Life
Current quality of life and its determinants among opiate-dependent individuals five years after starting methadone treatment
Opiate-dependent individuals' QoL is mainly determined by their psychological well-being and a number of psychosocial variables. These findings highlight the importance of a holistic approach to treatment and support in methadone maintenance treatment, which goes beyond fixing the negative physical consequences of opiate dependence
Quality of life among opiate-dependent individuals
Psychosocial wellbeing in war-affected Eastern Congolese adolescents
Psychosocial wellbeing in war-affected Eastern Congolese adolescents
Despite remarkable advances made, the knowledge base on the mental health effects of war on children and adolescents remains restricted by certain limitations, e.g., geographic predominance, a trauma-focused approach, cross-cultural validity issues and limited usefulness for practitioners. In response to these limitations, this dissertation aims to assess the psychosocial wellbeing of war-affected adolescents in the Eastern Democratic Republic of…
Latent Personality Profiles and the Relations with Psychopathology and Psychopathic Traits in Detained Adolescents
Beyond child soldiering
Given the various developments in former child soldiers' psychosocial well-being over time, the question arises as to which factors are associated with the prevalence of psychological distress. An ongoing debate points to the plausible importance of child soldiering-related and post-child soldiering factors. This study is an exploratory analysis of both types of association with former child soldiers' psychosocial well-being in the longer term. F…
Psychology (33 works) · Psychiatry (24 works) · Sociology (23 works) · Migration, Health and Trauma (20 works) · Medicine (18 works) · Political science (18 works) · Clinical Psychology (17 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Law (11 works) · Law (11 works)