​

Projects

​

1. Developing a position paper on physical and psychological survival of war stress

Project leader: Jana Javakhishvili

Project group: Stefanie Freel, Chris Hoeboer, Miranda Olff, Janne Punski-Hoogervorst, Joe Ruzek, Arieh Shalev.

​

During war hostilities civilians are exposed to a myriad of severe stressors, major losses, and extreme situational demands. Whilst such stressor might be traumatic in the long run, the task at hand during hostilities is survival and harm mitigation. At such time survival efforts not only involves the individual, but also families, attachment networks, and larger groups. They encompass physical and psychological survival, attaining food shelter and safety, re-evaluating the new realities’ constraints and openings, maintaining orientation and communication, adjusting to losses and overcoming exposure to grotesque death and deconfiguration.

 

At such time as well, individuals’ inherent resilience and intuitive resourcefulness are challenged by unexpected and, at times, inescapable stressors and require adjustment and adaptation. Psychological first aid, including guiding, training and advising lay helpers and professionals is important during hostilities. However, understanding and addressing the burden on those directly exposed is truly critical: they are the ones who evaluate threat and protection, assess risks and opportunities, sooth children – and one another; process and adjust to changing situational constraints, weigh information accuracy and relevance, derive and test predictions and courses of action and engage in salutogenic activities.

 

We need to directly address those at harm’s way, help by advice and guidance based on extant knowledge taken from disaster and combat psychiatry, from relocation and refugees situations, captivity and genocide survivorship and other empirical or descriptive sources. Inherent to this work is the repeated observations of individuals and families’ resourcefulness during extreme conditions and a belief in inherent resiliency potential in each individual.

​

Publications

​​

• Shalev AY. Surviving Warfare Adversities. A Brief Survival Advice for Civilians Under War Stress. PMGP [Internet]. 2022 Jun. 10;7(1):e0701357. Available from: https://e-medjournal.com/index.php/psp/article/view/357

​

• Javakhishvili et al., in prep. Position paper: Mental health and psychosocial support during ongoing armed conflict 

​

​