What is Psycho-Social Support?

The term psychosocial means the dynamic relationship between the psychological and social effects, of events on individuals. Psychosocial Counselling is important because helping the client to identify his/her problem and make choices will build his or her self-esteem, empower him or her and ultimately develop resilience.

Psychosocial counseling is important because it helps the client to identify his/her problems and makes choices/find solutions in building his/her self-esteem, empower him/herself and ultimately develop resilience. Successful psychosocial counselling will turn victims to survivors.

Trauma is a complex and difficult word to define. It should be noted that the word shock brought by trauma might cause a long-term change in an individual. Trauma tears apart the complex system of self-protection of an individual that normally functions in an integrated fashion. Trauma arrests the normal course of development by the repetitive intrusion into the survivor’s life.

Why is psychosocial counseling important?

• it helps the client or child/survivor to identify their problems and make choices to build their esteem
• it also empowers a survivor and ultimately develop resilience
• it helps the survivor identifies his/her problems, makes choices/solutions
• it will ultimately turn victims to survivors.

Note: In most cases the absence of psychosocial counseling will lead the victims to become traumatized

What are psychological effects?

This refers to those, which affect:

* Emotions            – Outward expressions of inner feelings — laugh, smile, cry etc.

* Behavior            – Conduct — e.g. grumbler, glutton, and drunkard, recluse.

* Thoughts            – Thinking, “the world is coming to an end”; I am a failure”, I am defiled”

* Memory              – Difficult to remember, to recall events.

* Learning ability- Short attention span, cannot concentrate, lack of motivation

* Perceptions       – How you perceive and understand things – calling a snake a lizard, a dog a cat,

Definition:

The term psychosocial simply underlines the dynamic relationship between the psychological and social effects, each continually influencing the other.

Why is psychosocial support important?

It is designed to meet four broad functional needs of survivors and/ or affected persons in crisis situations. Some psychosocial needs in situations like mudslides and flooding crisis situations has:

Psychological effects:

These are the ones that affect emotions, behavior, thoughts, memory, learning ability, perception and understanding.

Social effects:

These refer to altered relationships due to death, separation, estrangement, other losses, family and community breakdown, damage to social values and customary practices, the destruction of social facilities and services.

Social effects also include the economic dimension as many individual and family become destitute through the material and economic devastation, thus losing their social status and place in their familiar social networks.

Economic Effects:

Relate above effects to its impact on the economy- No schooling, no work, no community shows/night clubs, no Cinemas, no games etc.

Spiritual Effects:

• Lack of trust in God and believe in his existence
• Isolation from prayers
• Poor listening or concentrations

What are some psychosocial needs of children affected by crisis events like mudslides and flooding?

Restoring moral values

• Love, and care
• Tolerance
• Empathy
• Spiritual Guidance
• Building self-steam

Why do we need psychosocial support for parents and Community members?

Psychosocial Counseling:

Psychosocial counseling is one of the strategies employed for the rehabilitation of the mind of victims for their successful integration and resettlement into their various homes and communities. Its approach to healing is holistic, that is the physical, psychological and social well-being of individuals.

It is important because it helps the clients to identify his/her problem and make choices that will build his/her self-esteem, empower him/her and ultimately develop resilience.

Successful psychosocial counselling will turn victims to survivors