Presentation Information
[P-12-07]The colonial and slavery past and it’s impact in mental health care practice
*Marjolein Van Duijl1,2,3,4, Polli Hagenaars, Maja Heijmans-Goedschalk,, Marian Tankink, Kimberley Rakiyo, Manon Sanches, Annemiek Verwaal, Marina van Dijk (1.Amulet GGZ, independent consultant(Netherlands), 2.GGZ Centraal, Amersfoort(Netherlands), 3.1NP, Apeldoorn(Netherlands), 4.Scientific Committee, Netherlands Psychiatric Organisation(Netherlands))
Keywords:
slavery,transgenerational trauma,reparation,racism,inequality
The Netherlands was the last country in Europe to abolish transatlantic slavery in 1873. Slavery is one of the greatest human rights violations in history. There is however still little research available and awareness present on the impact of hundreds of years of slavery on current mental health problemes and care. Also within the WACP the impact of the Slavery on mental health has to our knowledge received little explicit attention.
Aims and Method: The commemoration year (2023-2024) of the abolition of transatlantic slavery by the Netherlands was the reason for a group of psychologists, psychiatrists, anthropologists and pedagogues, from the Netherlands, Surinam and Carribean countries, to learn more about and create awareness on the causes and consequences of the colonial past, slavery and the slave trade on mental health. Online panel discussions, symposia, workshops, discussions and plenaries on conferences were organized. A study of the experiences of professionals in the Netherlands who come from Suriname or the Caribbean (1st or 2nd generation) was carried out.
Results: These activities gave insight on different themes related to slavery and the exchange contributed to a beter mutual understanding. The psychological legacies of the centuries-long colonial and slavery past are still noticeable, both individually – in transgenerational trauma – and in society – in discrimination and in lack of inclusion. The impact of slavery is still present on societal level, e.g institutionalized racism; economic and social inequality and cultural attitudes(prejudices), which impact mental health. Intergenerational trauma can be recognized in family formation and parenting methods. On an individual level descendants of ancestors who were enslaved still regularly experience that they are treated as 'inferior' on the basis of skin colour, name, origin, positions and assumed qualities. This is partly due to the implicit sense of superiority of the descendants of colonizers in the land of colonizers. The psychological impact of this history can manifest in the psychiatric practice in various ways, including through symptoms such as nightmares, auditory or visual hallucinations, and the experience of spirits. Based on the gained insights a statement was made that currently is being discussed in the boards of the involved professional organizations. The statement expresses the need 1)to acknowledge the impact of the suffering that colonialism and slavery have caused, 2) recognize the influence of the colonial past on foundations, theories, methods, research and education of the behavioral sciences and 3) take responsibility for remedying the consequences and making improvements in theory, practice and education.
Aims and Method: The commemoration year (2023-2024) of the abolition of transatlantic slavery by the Netherlands was the reason for a group of psychologists, psychiatrists, anthropologists and pedagogues, from the Netherlands, Surinam and Carribean countries, to learn more about and create awareness on the causes and consequences of the colonial past, slavery and the slave trade on mental health. Online panel discussions, symposia, workshops, discussions and plenaries on conferences were organized. A study of the experiences of professionals in the Netherlands who come from Suriname or the Caribbean (1st or 2nd generation) was carried out.
Results: These activities gave insight on different themes related to slavery and the exchange contributed to a beter mutual understanding. The psychological legacies of the centuries-long colonial and slavery past are still noticeable, both individually – in transgenerational trauma – and in society – in discrimination and in lack of inclusion. The impact of slavery is still present on societal level, e.g institutionalized racism; economic and social inequality and cultural attitudes(prejudices), which impact mental health. Intergenerational trauma can be recognized in family formation and parenting methods. On an individual level descendants of ancestors who were enslaved still regularly experience that they are treated as 'inferior' on the basis of skin colour, name, origin, positions and assumed qualities. This is partly due to the implicit sense of superiority of the descendants of colonizers in the land of colonizers. The psychological impact of this history can manifest in the psychiatric practice in various ways, including through symptoms such as nightmares, auditory or visual hallucinations, and the experience of spirits. Based on the gained insights a statement was made that currently is being discussed in the boards of the involved professional organizations. The statement expresses the need 1)to acknowledge the impact of the suffering that colonialism and slavery have caused, 2) recognize the influence of the colonial past on foundations, theories, methods, research and education of the behavioral sciences and 3) take responsibility for remedying the consequences and making improvements in theory, practice and education.