Montserrat Fargas

Community Services for People Affected by Violence: An Exploration and Categorization

• Summary: In this article we explore the extent of services offered by voluntary community groups in Northern Ireland 10 years after the ceasefires. • Findings: People who have been exposed to community violence and related traumatic life-events often require help in coping with the effects of these experiences. While many people rely on family and friends for support and few require in-depth professional social work and therapeutic help, there is an increasing reliance on community services. Community services now offer a range of services from informal self-help groups, befriending, complementary therapies, respite, narrative work, to psychological therapy. • Application: We explore how these services are organized, who is using them, how they can be categorized, and finally we suggest minimum standards for good practice.

Psychological Impact of Long-Term Political Violence: An Exploration of Community Service Users:

Politically motivated violence has been a hallmark of life in Northern Ireland for the past 37 years. Despite the ceasefires in 1994 to 1995, violent incidents remain a relatively common occurrence. A range of community-based services developed to help people cope. In this article, the psychological health of people who use these services is assessed by means of the General Health Questionnaire, the Beck Depression Index, and the Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale. Pearson correlations indicate that 10 years after the ceasefires in Northern Ireland, the psychological health of community service users remains compromised in terms of death, individual, social, and cultural contexts. These issues are discussed in relation to questions regarding the effects of ongoing violence, resilience, and effectiveness of services. Language: en