Remembering and Re-Experiencing Trauma during Genocide Commemorations: The Effect of Supportive-Expressive Group Therapy in a Selected District Hospital in Rwanda

Abstract

From the 7th to the 13th April, Rwanda commemorates annually the genocide perpetrated against Tutsi in 1994. This second week of April is annually associated in Rwanda with an increase in traumatic crises whereby many people participating in commemorating ceremonies present with various symptoms, including re-experiencing traumatic events of the 1994 genocide. This paper presents and discusses the results of a study on a supportive-expressive group therapy model implemented by mental health nurses in a rural setting for people who experience repeated traumatic crises in the context of the genocide commemoration in Rwanda. Even though the supportiveexpressive group therapy was found ineffective for a series of variables studied (the number of crises presented in following commemorations, PTSD and depression symptoms), the results show that the intervention improved significantly the wellbeing of participants in terms of reduction of loneliness feelings and some negative emotions.

Keywords: genocide, Rwanda, commemoration, traumatic crisis, supportive-expressive group therapy