Psychological support for witnesses in war-related criminal proceedings
Keywords:
forensic psychology; post-traumatic; stress disorders; violent crime; war crimesAbstract
Introduction: The importance of psychological support for witnesses during war is determined by the need to protect their mental health and, at the same time, collect reliable evidence to bring perpetrators to criminal responsibility.
Objective: To evaluate an Integrated Psychosocial Support Model combining Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) to reduce Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms and improve emotional regulation in war crime witnesses.
Methods: The sample was formed from 100 people. The experimental group received the Integrated Psychosocial Support Model, which included the techniques of REBT and DMT, while the control group received standard psychological care. The data were collected using self-report assessment methods at baseline and after the intervention. A mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test for differences in symptom reduction between groups.
Results: Statistical analysis showed significantly greater reductions in core PTSD symptoms, hyperarousal, and dissociation in the experimental group (EG) compared to the control group (CG). The reduction in the average level of dissociation reached 35% in the EG, which is confirmed by a high efficiency indicator (large effect size ηp2 = 0.21).
Conclusions: The Integrated Psychosocial Support Model appears to be a promising and contextually appropriate intervention. These findings suggest that implementation in humanitarian and international justice settings may support both mental health recovery and forensic evidence integrity.
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