The Many Faces of Torture: A Psychological Perspective
The Many Faces of Torture: A Psychological Perspective
This chapter draws upon the experiences of its authors as psychological counselors for survivors of torture, as well as their expertise as professors of psychology. They argue that the psychological effects of torture on mental health are multi-dimensional, and affect its survivors, their families, their communities, and those who treat their trauma. Societies that resort to using torture also harm those who are tasked with torturing others. Torture frequently leads to trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder among its survivors, and presents difficulty for functioning in a variety of aspects of everyday life. Many torture survivors are also refugees forced to flee their homes, which often magnifies the difficulties of achieving recovery from torture. The authors suggest, however, that torture survivors often achieve significant degrees of recovery and reintegration into their communities when given adequate support and counseling. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the role psychologists and the American Psychological Association played in facilitating the United States' use of torture against captives in its war on terror.
Keywords: American Psychological Association, mental health, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychology counseling, psychology of torture, recovery, refugees, survivors of torture, torture, trauma
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