Psychological torture
Characteristics and impact on mental health
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19275121 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Joseph El‐khoury (0000-0002-4529-6840, American University of Beirut, corresponding author), Riwa Haidar (0000-0002-7005-2039, American University of Beirut), Andres Barkil-Oteo (0000-0003-0184-1998, American University of Beirut) |
| Year | 2021 |
| Volume | 67 |
| Issue | 5 |
| Pages | 500-506 |
| Publication date | 2021-08-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | International Journal of Social Psychiatry (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0020-7640 • E-ISSN: 1741-2854 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publications (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0020764020961800 |
| PMID | 32985299 |
| OpenAlex | W3088907454 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 35 |
Torture has been illegal in most of Europe and the United States for over a century but persisted in other parts of the world. The changing geopolitical landscape has led to its resurgence in recent years. The public rejection of traditional forms of torture that rely on the infliction of physical pain has paradoxically increased the reliance on psychological methods of torture. This critical commentary aims to define and characterize psychological torture (PT) while exploring practical, legal, ethical and therapeutic implications relevant to clinicians and policymakers. Psychological torture comes in a range of forms. It is being increasingly justified and adopted by legitimate authorities in the name of national security. The emphasis on the avoidance of physical pain leads to the assumption that PT does not produce the levels of suffering and harm that are associated with physically violent forms of torture. This same assumption has allowed for the implication of mental health professionals in theorizing and providing legitimacy for the actions of perpetrators. Psychological torture is still poorly defined with limited understanding of its long-term psychiatric impact on those who are subjected to it. The role of mental health professionals in preventing or addressing psychological torture remains ambiguous and needs to be reinforced
Criminology · Geopolitics · Harm · Human rights · Legitimacy · Mental health · Political science · Politics · Psychiatry · Psychological pain · Public health · Torture · Law · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Nursing · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Social Psychology · Torture, Ethics, and Law
Effects of psychological torture and cybertorture with emerging digital technologies under anti-torture legal obligations in China
Teaching against torture
Alleged torture in asylum seekers evaluated during the Arab spring years (2009–2014)
Correcting the record
A Zemiology of Torturous Violence and the Limits of Law
The development and maintenance of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in civilian adult survivors of war trauma and torture
Lifetime Events and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in 4 Postconflict Settings
Torture and the Ticking Bomb
Why Torture Doesn't Work
The worst scars are in the mind
The Effects of Torture
Fighting Torture and Psychologist Complicity
The Myth of “Torture Lite”
Experiences of Torture, Means of Coping, and Level of Symptoms among Palestinian Political Prisoners
Somali and Oromo Refugees
Torture & modernity
The Meaning of Torture
The Fall and Rise of Torture
Depsychologizing Torture
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1.25 |
| Citation span | 2022 - 2026 (5) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |