Module 7 – Psychological Impact of Torture and Psychosocial Care during Interviewing

Psychological Impact of Torture and Psychosocial Care during Interviewing

The information you gather and the stories you hear about injustice can affect you emotionally and mentally. Learn how to cope with the psychological impact of your work in this module.

Estimated time: 45m

• Video lecture

  Psychological Impact of Torture and Psychosocial Care during Interviewing

  Please, make sure you turned on Subtitles option on YouTube.

• Quiz

  Take the quiz and test your knowledge!

  1. When we are working with people that have suffered a torture, we need to take into consideration that:

  A. Everybody that has suffered a torture experience will develop a PTSD- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  B. Every person reacts in a different way to such an extreme experience, and we do not use a clinical label. Trauma responses can be considered a normal reaction to an abnormal situation

  C. We must always give psychiatric attention

  Correct! Wrong!

  2. In some context, doctors may be the first witnesses of the mistreatment or torture. In this regard, we need to take into consideration:

  A. The medical reports are confidential, but must be shared with the police

  B. Doctors may be subjected to threats and not provide accurate reports about cases

  C. It is impossible to link the injuries with the probable causes

  Correct! Wrong!

  3. Very often we will need the support of interpreters for our interviews. Select a true statement below:

  A. You must ensure that the interpreter is a local person with knowledge of the context

  B. You can always rely on the family or close friends to support with the interpretation

  C. You must ensure that the interpreter is aware of the need for absolute confidentiality

  Correct! Wrong!

  4. Some people may feel reluctant to talk. Let’s find out what to do in this situation:

  A. Try to make the person feel confident, touch his/her hand or arm to show support and proximity to his/her situation

  C. Be sure that you are the one that controls the interview, and that it is you who decide and establish time frames and breaks

  C. Establish a comfortable and private setting, and be aware of the body language of the person

  Correct! Wrong!

  5. What are some of the main strategies to minimize re-traumatization?

  A. Be sure that you are able to obtain all the information needed for the legal process, even if it’s difficult for the victim

  B. Have a culturally sensitive approach. Practice active listening

  C. Both of above-mentioned

  Correct! Wrong!

• Trainers' Note

  Congratulations!

  You successfully completed Safety & Security in Human Rights Work training!

  Don’t forget to fill in the feedback survey below and provide your comments and suggestions on how we can make this training more useful and relevant for human rights defenders.

  Don’t forget to check out our training on Human Rights Monitoring.

  If you wish to obtain OSCE Course Certificate, please contact us and we will send you the link to the final assessment survey. After successfully completing this assessment, you will receive your Course Certificate in electronic format.

  We wish you the best of luck in your human rights work!

  Giorgi Iashvili & Helena Manrique