Terrorism, traumatic events and mental health in Algeria.

Author: Sidhoum, M. A., Arar, F., Bouatta, C., Khaled, N., & Elmasri, M.

Source:
In Trauma, War, and Violence: Public Mental Health in Socio-Cultural Context (pp. 367-404). Springer, Boston, MA.
This chapter aims to fulfill several purposes. First, to explain the current situation in Algeria after a decade of tragedy and to describe the origins and patterns of the violence. Second, to describe the unique outlines of a mental health model initiated by the Algerian Society of Research in Psychology (SARP) with the objective of alleviating the burden of this tragedy on the population. In the absence of systematic credible research, we had to limit ourselves to the data provided by the daily work of our team, complemented by the preliminary results of an epidemiological survey carried out in partnership with TPO (Transcultural Psychosocial Organization). Reflections on the implications of the available data will enable us to define priorities and specificities of the program, and orient us to the perspectives on the long run.