Community-Based Trauma Healing: Literature Review and Opportunities in Colombia

The American Psychiatric Association defines traumatic events as experiences that threaten one's physical or emotional well-being, are overwhelming, result in intense feelings of fear and lack of control, leave people feeling helpless, and change the way a person understands themselves, the world, and others. Within the context of conflict and crisis, traumatic events can lead to feelings of powerlessness or helplessness due to witnessing or experiencing violence, separation, death or loss, exile, or imprisonment. Collective trauma occurs when the traumatic events related to conflict or disasters are experienced at the community or societal level. This type of trauma damages the social tissue of a community, ruptures social bonds, undermines communality, and destroys previous sources of support. Scholars have defined three major types of violence: direct, structural, and cultural. Direct violence includes physical, verbal, sexual, or psychological violence, while structural and cultural violence are ingrained attitudes expressed via discrimination and marginalization of groups due to poverty, racism, and/or gender inequality. Trauma related to conflict or crisis has myriad consequences on individuals, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other longer-term health consequences such as anxiety or depression. Prolonged and repeated trauma can also result in complex PTSD, which is characterized by symptoms such as emotional dysregulation, self-destructive behaviors, and difficulties in maintaining relationships. Community-Based Trauma Healing (CBTH) is an approach that has been used successfully in various contexts, including with conflict survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. CBTH involves working with communities to develop and implement trauma healing interventions that are tailored to their specific needs and circumstances. The approach focuses on building community resilience and promoting collective healing, rather than solely addressing individual trauma. In the context of Colombia, CBTH has the potential to address the trauma and mental health needs of Venezuelan migrants and refugees. The country has a long history of conflict and violence, which has resulted in significant trauma and mental health consequences for individuals and communities. The current migrant crisis has further exacerbated these issues, with many migrants experiencing trauma and mental health problems related to their experiences of violence, displacement, and separation from their families and communities. CBTH interventions in Colombia could focus on building community resilience and promoting collective healing, while also addressing individual trauma and mental health needs. This could involve working with community leaders and organizations to develop and implement trauma healing programs, providing training and support for community health workers, and promoting community-based initiatives that address the root causes of trauma and violence. The literature review and annotated bibliography on CBTH in Colombia highlights the need for a comprehensive and community-based approach to addressing trauma and mental health needs in the context of the migrant crisis. The review provides key information on the concepts of individual and collective trauma and trauma healing, the CBTH approach, and core components of CBTH models. It also reviews current mental health interventions addressing the crisis in Colombia and provides recommendations for future research and intervention design. In terms of implementation, CBTH interventions in Colombia could be implemented in various settings, including urban and rural areas, and could involve working with a range of stakeholders, including community leaders, organizations, and government agencies. The interventions could focus on building community resilience and promoting collective healing, while also addressing individual trauma and mental health needs. The geographic focus of CBTH interventions in Colombia would be on the regions of La Guajira and Cartagena, which are among the most affected by the migrant crisis. The timeframes for implementation would depend on the specific needs and circumstances of the communities involved, but could range from several months to several years.