The NETfacts health system: An integrative approach to counter the mental sequelae of trauma and violence at the individual and community level

Abstract

In areas of armed conflict such as Eastern DR Congo, a large proportion of the population is affected by violence. Trauma and violent acts can lead to mental health and behavioural problems which have ramifications beyond the individual into the family, community and societal systems, and are passed on across generations. Dynamics of avoidance and with it the dysfunctional communication about survivors' traumatic experience lead to the emergence of prejudices and marginalization of victims and prevent informed understandings in the aggregate. Cycles of violence emerge within communities that ‘build' on the inherited consequences of conflict-related trauma. This article outlines the NETfacts health system that provides an integrated approach to counter the consequences of violence at the individual and community level.