The Mental Health of Refugees: Ecological Approaches to Healing and Adaptation

This work brings together an international group of experts on the mental health of refugees who have pioneered a new approach to healing the psychological wounds of war and forced migration. Their work is guided by an ecological model, which, in contrast to the prevailing medical model of psychiatry and clinical psychology, emphasizes the development of culturally grounded mental health interventions in non-stigmatized community settings. The ecological model also prioritizes synergy with natural community resources to promote adaptation, prevention over treatment, the active involvement of community members in all phases of the intervention process, and the empowerment of marginalized communities to address their own mental health needs. The authors present a variety of culturally grounded interventions designed to improve the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of communities that have survived the nightmares of political repression, civil war, and genocide.