How Psychosocial Development in Afghanistan Heals War Torn Communities

Yesterday my sis and I were talking about the different adverse impacts of war. A lot of times, the main focus in the news, etc. is on the loss of human life and the somewhat abstract concepts to those of us living in developed countries of “regime changes”, e.g. “the politics”.  Almost never is there a widespread discussion around the mental health of survivors or the aid workers who go in to clean up the mess (or the environmental impact, which I also find important). Yet many are finding there is an urgent need for psychosocial development.

I remembered a TED video I watched in my Positive Psychology class featuring Jungian analyst Inge Missmahl. She traveled to Afghanistan and saw the inner wounds of war on the faces and in the body language of the people.  Despair, trauma and depression were epidemic.

What made her care to take action was learning that despite over 30 million people in the country, there were only approximately 24 psychologists. In this TED video Missmahl talks about her work helping to build the country’s system of psychosocial counseling. In so doing, some speculate, she has done a significant service of promoting both individual and, perhaps, national healing in Afghanistan.

Inge Missmahl brings peace to the minds of Afghanistan through psychosocial development objectives.