%0 Journal Article
%T Rehabilitation of torture survivors in five countries: common themes and challenges
%A Helen McColl
%A Craig Higson-Smith
%A Sarah Gjerding
%A Mostafa H Omar
%A Basma Rahman
%A Mona Hamed
%A Aida S El Dawla
%A Miriam Fredericks
%A Nicole Paulsen
%A Gugu Shabalala
%A Carmen Low-Shang
%A Fernando Perez
%A Liliana S Colin
%A Aurora D Hernandez
%A Eliomara Lavaire
%A Arely PA Zu£żiga
%A Lucia Calidonio
%A Carmen L Martinez
%A Yasser Jamei
%A Zeyad Awad
%J International Journal of Mental Health Systems
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1752-4458-4-16
%X Socio-demographic, clinical and torture exposure data was collected on the torture survivors attending the five centres at presentation and then at three and six month follow-up periods. This sample of torture survivors is presented using a range of descriptive statistics. Change over time is demonstrated with repeated measures analysis of variance.Of the 306 torture survivors, 23% were asylum seekers or refugees, 24% were socially isolated, 11% in prison. A high level of traumatic events was experienced. 64% had suffered head injury whilst tortured and 24% had ongoing torture injury problems. There was high prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression, post traumatic stress as well as medically unexplained somatic symptoms. The analysis demonstrates a modest drop in symptoms over the six months of the study.Data showed that the torture survivors seen in these five centres had high levels of exposure to torture events and high rates of clinical symptoms. In order to provide effective services to torture survivors, health professionals at torture rehabilitation centres in low income countries need to be supported to collect relevant data to document the needs of torture survivors and to evaluate the centres' interventions.Despite a range of international conventions and prevention instruments dating back to the end of the Second World War, torture is still practiced by at least 81 governments around the world [1]. The definition of torture is contested and different organisations define the concept more or less broadly. The most commonly used definition is that contained within the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UNCAT) of 1985, which defines torture as,any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act which he or a third pe
%U http://www.ijmhs.com/content/4/1/16