Psychosocial support

Psychological factors are intra-personal reactions to experiences or processes that contribute to the structuring of individual minds.
Following the experience of severely traumatic events, the mind of an individual may become so overwhelmed that it is unable to cope. Psychological trauma is often characterised by the recurrence of events in the mind thus leaving individuals incapable of assimilating their thoughts. Such deep trauma can break the links that one’s mind would normally put in place to understand and cope with specific situations.

Social factors are the nature of inter-personal relationships within community settings.
Social links are the mechanisms we build around ourselves primarily to facilitate our existence and survival, without which we can become extremely vulnerable.

Psychosocial support intervention
Psychosocial support is less about counselling, advice or the right or wrong ways to behave but instead to empower individuals by helping them to understand their own internal processes so they can adequately take control of their own situational responses and decision-making processes.

In Sierra Leone for example, Handicap International works with animators and psychologists who provide psychosocial support to street children, ex-child soldiers and war-wounded people. The animators facilitate mediation activities through which feelings and thoughts are communicated. The psychologists provide support to the animators by assisting them to gain a clinical understanding of the difficulties and problems faced by individuals.