Psychiatric help for survivors of torture

Abstract

When asked for advice about a survivor of torture (or of some other form of organised state violence), there are at least two people to consider. In addition to the needs of the patient, those of the person asking for advice – the health professional – must be taken into account. There are some forms of violence which can damage others, even in the controlled circumstance of a consulting room. There is a context, often a community or a family, in which the person exists. This paper will first address some of these broader issues before going on to consider some of the narrower, more technical, matters of best available treatment.