This book deals with Quality of Life among victims of armed conflict (Rambual) in Mizoram state of India during 1966-1986. Understanding responses and reactions of individuals and communities to traumatic events is an important element of effective Pastoral care and counselling. The author proposes Pastoral response to war trauma which is attentive to the physical, mental, and spiritual needs of the survivors by considering the unique experiences, beliefs, norms, values, traditions, customs, and language of the survivors.
R. Vanlaltluanga is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church of India, Mizoram Synod. He did B.D. from Bishop's College, Kolkata; M.Th from Union Biblical Seminary, Pune; and D.Th from Federated Faculty for Research in Religion and Culture (FFRRC), Kottayam, Kerala. After eight years of Pastoral ministry, he is teaching Pastoral Care and Counselling at graduate and master level at Aizawl College, Mizoram, India.
One of the most important concerns for human race is to lengthen life and to improve the quality of life (QoL). Over the centuries, researchers have searched for new frontiers to reach these goals. In fact, Qol. research has made great strides since the social indicator movement started as a scientific enterprise in the 1960s. The present research also investigates quality of life in the context of exposure to extreme war trauma. It seeks to answer questions such as- 'How does exposure to war affect the lives of the victims?': 'Do the victims have lower level of quality of life as compared to those who are not the victims?"; and "Is there any relationship between coping and QoL.?"
Armed conflict has a catastrophic effect on the health and well being of nations. Some recent quotations from the media depict the impact of war on wellbeing: "We are living in a state of constant fear": "War takes a toll on mental health": "War trauma leaves physical mark"; "War is hell... it has ant impact on the people who take part that never heals"; "War is terrible and beyond the understanding and experience of most people": "A generation has grown up knowing only war." Studies have shown that conflict situations cause more mortality and disability than any major disease. War destroys communities and families and often disrupts the development of the social and economic fabric of nations. The effects of armed conflict include long-term physical and psychological harm to children and adults, as well as reduction in material and human capital. Death as a result of wars is simply the "tip of the iceberg." Other consequences, besides death, are not well documented. They include endemic poverty, malnutrition, disability, economic/social decline and psychosocial illness, to mention only a few. Only through a greater understanding of conflicts and the myriad of mental health problems that arise from them, coherent and effective strategies for dealing with such problems can be developed.
Quality of Life (Qol.) means different things to different individuals, groups and cultures. The WHO has defined Qol. as: "...an individual's perception of their position in life in the context of the culture and value systems in which they live and in relation to their goals, expectations, standards and concerns. It is a broad ranging concept affected in a complex way by the person's physical health, psychological state, personal beliefs, social relationships and their relationship to salient features of their environment." This definition has merit because it acknowledges the multidimensional aspect of Qol. Therefore, Qol. may be understood as a multidimensional concept that measures a person's wellbeing. It concerns how well people are able to function and how they feel about physical, mental, social, and other dimensions of their lives. Researches have demonstrated that traumatic life experiences, such a physical and sexual assault, exposure to domestic violence, traffic-related injuries, critical illness, sexual abuse and military combat, have a negative impact on Qol.
Vanlaltluanga's study on Qol. among victims of war trauma has contributed to the understanding of long-term impact of trauma on QoL. Even after thirty years from the actual hostilities, civilian victims showed lower Qol. in major domains of functioning. It may be asserted that victims of extreme traumatic events always have a sense of victimization, which may cause them to mistrust strangers, those in authority, or even anyone different from themselves. Survivors may see dangers lurking in their environment and find it hard to distinguish possible mishaps from probable ones. Based on this continuing sense of vulnerability, the physical and social environment may be experienced as chronically threatening, and thus, clearly affecting physical and social environment domains of Qol.
**Contents and Sample Pages**
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