‘I was lost in my life and they helped me find my way again’: Befriendee and befriender experiences of the Spirasi Befriending Programme for survivors of torture in Ireland
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v33i2.134386Keywords:
Torture survivor, Befriending, Focus group, Expressive arts, Holistic approachAbstract
Introduction: Befriending is one of the rehabilitative services embedded in the holistic approach adopted by Spirasi, the Irish National Centre for the Rehabilitation of Survivors of Torture. Their befriending programme offers survivors one-to-one companionship from trained volunteer befrienders. The literature suggests that befriending programmes can improve quality of life, provide emotional support and combat loneliness. However, there is little empirical research of the effectiveness of befriending programmes for torture survivors.
Objective: The main objective was to explore, in complementary ways, the impact of the Spirasi befriending programme on befrienders and befriendees and to incorporate their voices into recommendations for optimising the service.
Methods: The methodology consisted of five focus groups (two with befriendees, two with befrienders and one with both) and a portrait workshop facilitated by two community artists, where each befriending pair member created a portrait of their partner to express and visually explore the befriending relationship. Data comprised the focus group transcripts and written feedback on the portrait-creation process.
Results: The themes identified in both data sets firmly ground the befriending programme in Spirasi’s holistic approach to recovery. For the focus group participants, befriending promotes integration; models trusting, kind and reciprocal relationships; combats loneliness and protects against suicide. They also highlighted the importance of regular befriender training, increasing the programme’s reach and developing a befriender community of practice. The portrait workshop was found to strengthen relationships and provide a context of normality, acceptance and shared humanity through compassionate and creative exchanges.
Conclusions: This paper highlights the benefits of the befriending programme within Spirasi’s holistic approach and the importance of collaborative expressive arts activities in building befriending relationships. It provides recommendations for good befriending practice which are relevant to all organisations working with survivors of torture as well as those working with people seeking international protection more broadly.
References
Abu Suhaiban, H., Grasser, L., & Javanbakht, A. (2019). Mental Health of Refugees
and Torture Survivors: A Critical Review of Prevalence, Predictors and Integrated Care. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(3), 2309-2323. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16132309
Askins, K. (2014). Being Together: Evaluating the West End Refugee Service Befriending Scheme. Glasgow: University of Glasgow.
Balaam, M.-C. (2014). A Concept Analysis of Befriending. Journal of Advanced
Nursing, 71(1), 24-34. https://dx.doi.org/10.111/jan.12533
Behnia, B. (2001). Friends and Caring Professionals as Important Support for Survivors of War and Torture. International Journal of Mental Health, 30(4), 3-18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207411.2001.11449529
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using Thematic Analysis in Psychology. Qualitative
Research in Psychology, 77-101. https://doi.org/101191/1478088706qp063oa
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2014). What can thematic analysis offer health and wellbeing researchers? International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Wellbeing, 1-3. https://doi.org/ 10.3402/ghw.v9.26152
Chambon, A., McGrath, S., Shapiro, B., Abai, M., & Dudziak, S. (2001). From Interpersonal Links to Webs of Relations: Creating Befriending Relationships with Survivors of Torture and of War. Journal of Social Work Research, 2(2), 17-34.
Committee Against Torture. (2012). Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/treaty-bodies/cat
Donoghue, F. (2001). Women and Volunteering - a Feminised Space? The Bigger Picture: A Reflection on Volunteering in Ireland in 2001, International Year of the Volunteer. Galway.
Geue, K., Goetze, H., Buttstaedt, M., Kleinert, E., Rishter, D., & Singer, S. (2010).
An overview of art therapy interventions for cancer patients and the results of the research. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 18, 160-170. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2010.04.001
Hepburn, A., & Bolden, G. (2012). The Conversation Analytic Approach to Transcription. In J. Sidnell, & T. Stivers, Handbook of Conversation Analysis (pp. 57-76). Oxford: Blackwell.
Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery: the aftermath of violence - from domestic abuse to political terror. New York: Basic Books.
IPO. (2022). International Protection Office Statistics. Dublin. Retrieved from http://www.ipo.gov.ie
IRCT. (2020). Global Standards on Torture Rehabilitation. Retrieved August 22, 2022, from https://irct.org/what-we-do/global-standards-and-evidence
Lacopino, V., Ozkalipci, O., & Schlar, C. (1999). The Istanbul Protpcol: international standards for the effective investigation and documentation of torture and ill treatment. The Lancet, 1117.
McCarthy, R., & Haith-Cooper, M. (2013). Evaluating the impact of befriending for pregnant assylum-seeking and refugee women. British Journal of Midwifery, 21(6), 404-410. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjom.2013.21.6.404
McGowan, B., & Jowett, C. (2003). Promoting Positive Mental Health through
Befriending. International Journal of Mental Health Promotion, 59(2), 12-24. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623730.2003.9721902
Morina, N., & Nickerson, A. (2018). Mental Health of Refugee and Conflict-Affected
Populations. New York, Springer. https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97046-2
Perez-Sales, P. (2018). Migration and torture: Building a map of knowledge. Torture, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.7146/torture.v28i2.106906
Salway, S., Such, E., Preston, L., Booth, A., Zubair, M., Victor, C., & Raghavan, R. (2020). Reducing Loneliness among Migrant and Ethnic Minority People: a Participatory Evidence Synthesis. Public Health Research, 8(10), 1-280.
Siette, J., Cassidy, M., & Priebe, S. (2017). Effectiveness of befriending interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 7(4), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2016-014304
Spirasi. (2022). Freedom and Future Strategic Plan 2022-2025. Spirasi. Dublin.
Retrieved from Spirasi.ie, September 2022.
Thompson, R., Valenti, E., Siette, J., & Priebe, S. (2016). To befriend or be a friend:
a systematic review of the meaning and practice of 'befriending' in mental health care. Journal of Mental Health, 70-77. https://dx.doi.org/10.3109/09638237.2015.1021901
UNCAT. (1984). Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman and
Degrading Treatment or Punishment. United Nations: UN General Assembly.
UNHCR. (2022). Global Trends Report: Forced Displacement in 2021. UNHCR. UNHCR.
United Nations. (2022). Istanbul Protocol: Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment. Geneva: United Nations. Retrieved August 21, 2022, from https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications/policy-and-methodological-publications/istanbul-protocol-manual-effective-0
Williams, A., & van der Merwe, J. (2013). The Psychological Impact of Trauma. The British Journal of Pain, 101-106. https:/dx.doi.org/10.1177/2049463713483596
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2023 Torture Journal
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
We accept that some authors (e.g. government employees in some countries) are unable to transfer copyright. The Creative Commons Licence Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) covers both the Torture Journal and the IRCT web site. The publisher will not put any limitation on the personal freedom of the author to use material contained in the paper in other works which may be published, provided that acknowledgement is made to the original place of publication.
