The power of rituals in dealing with traumatic stress symptoms
Cleansing rituals for former child soldiers in Northern Uganda
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19505064 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Jon‐Håkon Schultz (0000-0002-4822-7998, Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, corresponding author), Jon-Håkon Schultz, Lars Weisæth (0000-0002-3330-2553, University of Oslo) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 18 |
| Issue | 10 |
| Pages | 822-837 |
| Publication date | 2015-11-26 |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Mental Health Religion & Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1367-4676 • E-ISSN: 1469-9737 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/13674676.2015.1094780 |
| OpenAlex | W2259452160 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 34 |
International guidelines for emergency response note the importance of cultural adaptions and facilitation of local spiritual and religious healing practices when appropriate. Deciding whether traditional medicine is safe, effective and appropriate is a complex matter. This study explores the therapeutic factors of a local cleansing ritual in Northern Uganda aimed at healing former child soldiers. The components of the ritual are analysed and compared with research-based therapy for post-traumatic stress disorder. Participant observation was used during the ritual, followed by qualitative in-depth interviews and follow-up interviews over three years. The key informant is a former child soldier participating in the ritual. He was abducted and forced to commit several killings during a three-year period. The collective mobilisation of social support, the collective forgiveness and the strength of the psycho-education appear central for the effect of the ritual. In addition, the ritual draws on common therapeutic factors. The findings indicate that such a ritual involves elements that safely and effectively deal with symptoms in accordance with modern research on trauma therapy, perhaps more powerfully than Western-style therapy. Implications for collaboration with local healers in emergency settings are indicated
Commit · Forgiveness · Participant observation · Psychiatry · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Traumatic stress · Grief, Bereavement, and Mental Health · Medicine · Migration, Health and Trauma · Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research · Psychology · Social Psychology
The ritual process
Child Soldiers in Africa
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Social Bonds and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Disaster Victims Speak
Research summary on the therapeutic relationship and psychotherapy outcome.
Five Essential Elements of Immediate and Mid–Term Mass Trauma Intervention
Self-Efficacy
Patients and Healers in the Context of Culture
Shame, guilt, and depressive symptoms
Do No Harm
The burden of traditional practices, ebino and tea-tea, on child health in Northern Uganda
Predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder and symptoms in adults
The Rites of Passage
The Ritual Process
Ritual
The Efficacy of Traditional Medicine
| Citations per year | 0.67 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2020 - 2024 (5) |
| Highly cited | No |