The Level of Distress Among the Victims of War and Terrorism and the Role of Psychological Interventions in their Rehabilitation

Hayat Mohammad Bangash, Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan & Summiya Ahmad

Abstract
The present study was carried out to investigate the psychological effects of war and
terrorism and the role of psychological interventions in the rehabilitation of affectees. The
sample included two hundred participants (N=200) from two districts of Khyber
Pakhtunkhwa i.e. Swat and Buner based ,by using convenient sampling technique. It was
further divided into two subgroups, males (n=100) and females (n=100).Pre and posttest
design was used for the study because it was carried out in two phases. Demographic
Information Sheet and Impact of Event Scale (IES) (Horowitq, Wilner, & Alvarez, 1979)
were administered for the assessment. It was hypothesized that the Victims of war and
terrorism will score high on Impact of Event Scale (IES) and the prevalence distress will be
high among females as compared to males. It was also assumed that males will show
improvement in decreasing symptoms of distress, than females after receiving
psychological interventions. The results supported the hypotheses. Results of the research
explored (p<0.05) that people who are the direct victim and those who are eyewitness of the
traumatic event (war between army and militants) suffered from distress. In the second phase
of study, results indicated that psychological interventions play a pivotal role in the
rehabilitation of affectees.

Keywords: War and Terrorism, Stress, Male, Female, Psychological Interventions and Rehabilitation.