Ethnotherapeutic approach in psychosocial assistance to adolescents in refugee camps: The experience of Chechnya

Abstract

This article describes the ethnotherapeutic approach in psychosocial assistance to adolescents of 14-18 years who had left Chechnya and lived in the refugee camps in neighbour Ingushetia during wartime 1999-2004. The group ethnotherapy based on the Chechen customs, traditions, myths and symbols was used.

In traditional Chechen family children grow in the atmosfere of values where norms of behavior, cultural traditions and customs are developed. Being in hard and unusual conditions of refugee camps, the part of adolescents had problems with adaptation and refused from habitual norms of cultural traditions and customs. As a result they lost their identity, had a mental health problems and deviating forms of behaviour. On the other hand, many adolescents felt guilty that they were in safety while people back at home were suffering from war hardships.

During the ethnotherapeutic sessions different life situations in a context of the Chechen norms of traditions and customs were discussed as well as examples from a life of mythical and real Chechen heroes of the past and how could they cope with difficult life situations they faced. Well-known Chechen actors, writers, scientists were invited to the therapeutic sessions, which life situations showed to adolescents how it needed to work and served to the own people.

Using the ethnotherapeutic approach returns adolescents in habitual system of values, raises their self-estimation and improves adaptation on a new place.