War trauma, psycho-social projects and social development in Croatia.

Abstract

This article looks at the ways in which concepts of 'war trauma' and 'post-traumatic stress disorder' are being used within 'psycho-social projects' in Croatia, in the context of the wars of the Yugoslav succession and consequent large-scale forced migration. Psycho-social discourses are addressed critically, both in terms of their internal consistency and problems relating to the wider social and political context. The authors suggest the importance of 'social development projects' as an alternative to those projects which rely on narrow psycho-social interventions.