The Collective Narrative of Trauma and Healing Among Internally Displaced Individuals in Ethiopia: A Community-Based Participatory Action Research Inquiry

Abstract

Abstract Background: Ethiopia is currently ranked among the top five countries with the highest number of internally displaced individuals, and several centers in the country provide temporary accommodation for those who have been forcibly displaced from their homes. Research shows that internally displaced people are subjected to a multitude of stressors, such as mass and community trauma, poverty, and disintegration of social support networks, which can result in mental distress, impaired interpersonal relationships, diminished coping abilities, and poor psychosocial well-being. Methods: Drawing on the conceptualization of a culturally responsive constructive processing approach for addressing trauma, this study explored individual and community narratives of trauma and healing as shaped by lived experiences. Data were collected from 42 stakeholders using Community-Based Participatory Action Research (CBPAR) and interpretative phenomenological research design. Results: The thematic analysis illuminates the stories of internally displaced people in Ethiopia and their collective experiences of trauma and healing. Several themes emerged, including a collective definition of trauma, the nature of the ongoing collective trauma experienced by internally displaced people, collective connection to the culture and legacies of healing and resilience. Conclusions: The findings of this study can be used to adapt to or develop a culturally responsive trauma-informed program to address the mental health and healing of individuals with internal displacement.