The influence of mental health on reconciliation in post-war Lebanon

This study explores the influence of mental health on reconciliation by conducting grounded theory research in post-war Lebanon. Based on interviews with experts in the fields of mental health and reconciliation, three hypotheses are formulated. Firstly, war affects the mental health of people in a complex way, leading to clinical and subclinical levels of psychological stress. The accumulation of war events as well as individual vulnerabilities and resilience factors are taken into account. Secondly, mental health services are insufficient to care for those in need of psychosocial support. The national health care system is widely inaccessible, Non governmental organizations (NGOs) are overburdened, and mental health is a stigmatized topic. Thirdly, the study concludes that mental health problems disrupt the process of repairing fractured relationship in Lebanon. Poor mental health negatively affects cognitive skills which are necessary to engage in the reconciliation process, such as problem-solving and perspective-taking. People lack trust, there is no feeling of shared responsibility and irrational fears fuel sectarianism. Lessons learnt for the humanitarian community are formulated. First and foremost, humanitarians working in post-conflict societies should integrate psychosocial care in reconciliation activities at all levels of the intervention to increase the effectiveness of their actions.

Königstein, H.F. (2013). The Influence of Mental Health on Reconciliation in Post-War Lebanon. An Explorative Field Based Study Using Grounded Theory Research. IFHV Working Paper, 3(2).