Group Analysis Training for Bosnia-Herzegovina Mental Health Professionals in the Aftermath of the 1992-1995 War

Letter to the editor Acta Medica Academica 2012;41(2):226-227 DOI: 10.5644/ama2006-124.58

Group analysis training for Bosnia-Herzegovina mental health professionals in the aftermath of the 1992-1995 war

Mevludin Hasanović1, Izet Pajević1, 2, Esmina Avdibegović1, 2, Nermina Kravić1, 2, Ljiljana Moro3, Tanja Frančiškovic3, 4, Rudolf Gregurek3, Gorana Tocilj3

1 Department of Psychiatry Dear Editor, University Clinical Center Tuzla 2 School of Medicine, University of Tuzla Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina After the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina 3 Institute for Group Analysis of (BH), the whole population was highly psycho-trauma- Department for Psychology Medicine tized (1-4). Mental health therapists did not have enough School of Medicine, University of Zagreb capacity to meet the needs of the population. They had a Zagreb, Croatia 4 Department of Psychiatry, Hospital long-term need to improve their psychotherapy capaci- Clinical Center Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia ties (5, 6). Group Analysis (GA), or Group Analytic Psy- chotherapy, was developed in England in the 1940s by the psychotherapist and psychoanalyst Dr Sigmund Heinrich Foulkes, during his work with World War Two veterans. Corresponding author: GA originated from psychoanalysis, systems theory, de- Mevludin Hasanović Department of Psychiatry velopmental and social psychology and sociology. The University Clinical Centre Tuzla hard core of GA presents the belief that the individual is Rate Dugonjića bb fundamentally social in nature. 75 000 Tuzla The Institute of Group Analysis (IGA) in Zagreb is a Bosnia and Herzegovina full member of the European Group Analytic Training [email protected] Tel.: + 387 61 656 608 Institutions Network – EGATIN. Established in 1988 by Fax.: + 387 35 303 500 fourteen enthusiastic psychiatrists, the IGA immediately became a fully-fledged Training Institute of EGATIN. Their education methods were developed and modified in accordance with the programs of the IGA London, Received: 11 August, 2012 EGATIN, and the EU requirements related to training. Accepted: 16 September, 2012 Today, this Institute ranks as one of the best training in- stitutes in Europe. IGA Zagreb expanded its activities in and out of Croa- tia, so they began training in Bosnia and Herzegovina. A Copyright © 2012 by IGA Training Program took place in the Tuzla Univer- Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina. sity Clinical Centre at the Department of Psychiatry in E-mail for permission to publish: response to the 1992-1995 war, and in order to help train [email protected] mental health workers in GA to enable them to treat the

226 Mevludin Hasanović et al.: Group analysis training for Bosnia-Herzegovina mental health...

psychological trauma symptoms of war sur- in the process of training for educators (7). vivors. Today the IGA conducts continual training The IGA management and its represen- courses in Bosnia and Herzegovina in three tative Professor Ljiljana Moro, together with clinical centers: Tuzla, Sarajevo and Mostar. Professor Osman Sinanović, decided during the war and in the immediate post-war Conflict of interests: The author declares that he has no conflict of interests. This study was not period that the best way to help BH was by sponsored by any external organization. enhancing the expertise of its mental health professionals through training in GA. This was a long-term project which aimed to References make them self-sufficient and eventually 1. Agius M, Butler S, Hasanović M (2012) Re: Post able to provide training within the coun- Traumatic Stress Disorder in Bosnia Herzegovina. try and to found their own GA organisa- Published On-line 16 May 2012 in BMJ http:// tion. Apart from providing training, this en- www.bmj.com/content/338/bmj.b1273/rr/585071 (Approached 11 Aug 2012). tailed providing on-going supervision and 2. Hasanović M. Psychological consequences of support on a regular basis. war-traumatized children and adolescents in Bos- The highly dedicated, internationally ap- nia and Herzegovina. Acta Medica Academica. proved GA trainers: Ljiljana Moro, Tanja 2011;40(1):45-66. Frančišković, Rudolf Gregurek, Gorana 3. Hasanović M. Srabović S, Rašidović M, Šehović Tocilj and Vedran Bilić provided complete M, Hasanbasić E, Husanović J, et al. Psychoso- cial assistance project decreased posttraumatic training for trainees: neuro-psychiatrists, stress disorder and depression amongst primary residents, nurses, psychologists, social and secondary schools students in post-war Bos- workers, special educators, pediatricians, nia and Herzegovina. Acta Medica Academica. and gynecologists from several different in- 2011;40(2):122-31. stitutions, from seven different cities in BH 4. Hasanović M, Pajević I. Religious moral beliefs as mental health protective factor of war veterans and Croatia. Training started during the suffering from PTSD, depressiveness, anxiety, to- war period, with an introduction course, bacco and alcohol abuse in comorbidity. Psychia- and continued with Diploma courses. To tria Danubina. 201022(2):203-10. be accredited GA therapists, all trainees are 5. Hasanović M, Sinanović O, Pajević I, Agius M. obliged to practice GA therapy with clients The Spiritual Approach to Group Psychothera- under the supervision of GA supervisors. py Treatment of Psychotraumatized Persons in Post-War Bosnia and Herzegovina. Religions. Today there are 7 graduate Group Analysts 2011;2(3):330-44. in BH: Esmina Avdibegović, neuropsychia- 6. Agius M, Glaurdic J. Remembering wars past. Pe- trist from Tuzla; Behzad Hadžić, neuropsy- diatrics Today. 2012;8(1):1. chiatrist from Ključ; Mevludin Hasanović, 7. Hasanović M, Pajević I, Avdibegović E, Kravić N, neuropsychiatrist from Tuzla; Izet Pajević, Moro L, Frančišković T, et al. Training Bosnia- neuropsychiatrist from Tuzla; Nermina Herzegovina Mental Health Workers in Group Analysis in the Aftermath of the 1992-1995 War. Kravić, neuropsychiatrist from Tuzla; Azra European Psychiatry. 2012:27(Suppl. 1). http:// Arnautović, pediatician from Tuzla; Zih- www.em-consulte.com/en/article/729933 (Ap- net Selimbašić neuropsychiatrist from Tu- proached 11 Aug 2012) Doi: 10.1016/S0924- zla. Three of them: Izet Pajević, Esmina 9338(12)75310-5 Avdibegović and Mevludin Hasanović are

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