Relationship Between PTSD and Brazilian Urban Violence (original) (raw)
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Post-traumatic stress disorder and urban violence: An anthropological study
The study aimed to understand how "distress" is experienced by patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the social-cultural context of São Paulo, Brazil, an urban environment marked by social inequality and high levels of violence. A qualitative study was conducted between 2008 and 2010 with PTSD patients (F43.1, ICD-10, 1997) who had been victims of robberies and kidnappings in São Paulo. Dense ethnographic observations were carried out, as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten adult patients. The analysis method used was based on anthropology. The results show that it is particularly important to distinguish between perceptions of different forms of the experience of social suffering and perceptions of health and illness held by victims and biomedical experts. The cause of PTSD is more often associated with the personal problems of the victim than with the specific traumatic event. The distress described in terms of what is considered a "normal" reaction to violence and what is considered a symptom of PTSD. The findings indicate that the diagnostic of PTSD can be understood in relation to the different contexts within a culture. The ethnographic approach serves not only to illuminate individual suffering but also the social suffering experienced by the residents of São Paulo.
BMC Psychiatry, 2022
Background Adolescents in low-resource urban settings in Brazil are often exposed to high levels of trauma that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, preliminary evidence indicates that PTSD tends to be under-reported in Brazilian health services, despite the high prevalence of trauma. Additionally, little is known about the perceived applicability among clinicians of the new ICD-11 diagnosis of complex PTSD (CPTSD), despite its potential relevance for contexts of chronic trauma. The current study investigated local understandings of PTSD and CPTSD among health professionals working with adolescents in violent neighbourhoods of São Paulo city. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 58 health professionals working at both the primary care and specialized mental health levels in two areas of São Paulo city with high levels of community violence. Results Most participants knew about PTSD, but most did not know about CPTSD. There were mixed views ...
The study aimed to understand how "distress" is experienced by patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in the social-cultural context of São Paulo, Brazil, an urban environment marked by social inequality and high levels of violence. A qualitative study was conducted between 2008 and 2010 with PTSD patients (F43.1, ICD-10, 1997) who had been victims of robberies and kidnappings in São Paulo. Dense ethnographic observations were carried out, as well as in-depth semi-structured interviews with ten adult patients. The analysis method used was based on anthropology. The results show that it is particularly important to distinguish between perceptions of different forms of the experience of social suffering and perceptions of health and illness held by victims and biomedical experts. The cause of PTSD is more often associated with the personal problems of the victim than with the specific traumatic event. The distress described in terms of what is considered a "normal" reaction to violence and what is considered a symptom of PTSD. The findings indicate that the diagnostic of PTSD can be understood in relation to the different contexts within a culture. The ethnographic approach serves not only to illuminate individual suffering but also the social suffering experienced by the residents of São Paulo.
Unworthy of Grief: Enduring Urban Violence in Northeast Brazil
Bulletin of Latin American Research, 2020
Pervasive urban violence has taken its toll on daily life in the northern part of Recife. Taking an ethnographic approach, and tracing recent developments of violent crime and homicide in Recife, this article explores the implications of the normalisation of violence. By thinking through how residents tried to protect themselves and endure the violence in practical and moral terms, the article seeks to elucidate why some members of the community-victims of violent crime and their mothers-were not deemed worthy of grief.
Posttraumatic stress disorder among adolescents in Brazil: a cross-sectional study
BMC Psychiatry
Background The frequency of trauma and different types of violence exposure in urban areas and their effects on the mental health of adolescents in developing countries are poorly investigated. Most information about traumatized young people comes from war scenarios or disasters. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of PTSD in trauma-exposed students in a low-resource city of the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The effects of sociodemographic and individual and family factors in the development of PTSD were also investigated. Methods Through multi-stage cluster sampling, 862 adolescents (Mage = 15 years old, 65% female) from public and private schools in the city of São Gonçalo were selected for the study. Self-rating structured questionnaires were applied to assess sociodemographic profile, exposure to physical and psychological violence (family, school, community), sexual abuse, social support, social functional impairment, resilience, and posttraumatic stress disorder. T...
IJASS JOURNAL, 2024
To understand the occurrence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Military Police Officers as well as the available treatment in order to raise the need for a closer look at issues related to the mental health of these professionals. Methodology: A search was carried out in the Google Scholar and Scielo databases with a survey of articles published between 2003 and 2023. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) were consulted in search of a definition for the disorder studied. Results: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a problem for military police officers, especially in Brazil, where high exposure to traumatic events and the stigma associated with mental health are prevalent. Police officers’ psychological distress is often exacerbated by the pressure to maintain a facade of invulnerability, which makes it difficult to recognize and treat PTSD. Conclusion: The Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) shows effectiveness in reducing PTSD symptoms, among other therapies and psychological support programs. Understanding PTSD and overcoming the associated stigma are crucial to improving mental health and the effectiveness of public safety operations as well as investing in public policies and institutional initiatives that promote mental health to the officers.
2022
This paper details two ongoing pilot studies exploring the perspectives of a group of indigenous Brazilian students and a group of dwellers in a Brazilian favela, who have experienced and continue to experience trauma. The paper explores the difference in perspectives, values, and trauma as experienced by these communities, when seen through the lens of colonial psychology and seeks to contribute to a dialogue within psychology that promotes critical psychology and dialogue.
The present paper reports on partial findings of a major research project entitled Interdisciplinary project on social cognitive representations in the conceptualization of violence in urban Brazilian centers. 1 It aims at providing some insight into an embodied and social-culturally situated concept of representation – a social cognitive representation, as I understand it, by presenting both a theoretic-philosophical basis for this kind of concept as well as some preliminary findings of an analysis of focus groups talks about urban violence. The methodology is focused on discursive and cognitive aspects which emerge from and influence people's verbal interactions. The qualitative analysis performed suggests, among others not discussed here, the emergence of two metaphors in participants' talks: VIOLENCE IS A PRODUCT MANUFACTURED BY THE MEDIA and VIOLENCE IS A SPREADING CONTAGIOUS DISEASE. This appears to be due to the Media's sensationalist trivialization of violence which results in violence being thought of as present anywhere and everywhere like an UNCONTROLLED FORCE. The trivialization of violence by the Media contributes to negative attitudes and feelings of lack of control, distrust, prejudice and hurt.