Indeed, in the aftermath of the earthquake, there were countless media images of Haitians persevering and going about their daily lives and activities appearing unfazed by the massive devastation and despair that surrounded them.
Those reactions and behaviors were frequently cited to depict Haitians as a resilient nation; a people that seemed to be unaffected by the magnitude of the tragedy and able to “bounce back”—like the proverbial bamboo tree. To date, many questions remain as to the applicability of the westernized construct of resilience to the Haitian experience. In the literature, resilience is defined as “patterns of positive adaptation in the context of significant risk or adversity” (Masten & Powell, 2003).
Yet, as robust as the research on resilience has been, further empirical investigations are needed to fully understand the contextual and cultural aspects of resilience vis-à-vis the Haitian community. For instance, how is resilience defined, conceptualized and measured among Haitians? What attributes of resilience are relevant to Haitians living in the homeland and the Diaspora? Is there a different, and perhaps more culturally appropriate, construct that can better capture the complexities of the lives of Haitians, their coping strengths and reactions to traumatic experiences both as individuals and as a cultural group?
Restoring The Haitian Psyche:
Mapping Mental Health Programs in Haiti
Summit Organized by
Rebati Sante Mentale Inc, in collaboration with University of Miami, School of Education and Human Development, Coral Gables
American Psychiatric Association (OMNA) on Tour
June 7-8, 2013
In response to the earthquake of January 12, 2010 in Haiti many organizations on the grounds in Haiti and abroad were galvanized to confront the challenges of mending a broken country, as well as the wounded mind and body of Haitians traumatized by the earthquake.
Recognizing the potential for redundancy of plans or projects by various organizations to address the unmet mental health needs of Haitians, and the risk of development of culturally incompetent programs to address such unmet needs, various stakeholders from Haiti, United States, and Canada came together at The first Haitian Mental Health Summit (HMHS) at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida, from June 26th to June 27th, 2010 to address such challenges. Rebati Sante Mentale Inc, was created out of the groups that came together for the summit. Rebati Sante Mentale Inc, (www.rebatism.org) is dedicated to continue to develop a sustainable collaborative effort to maximize the mental health well being of Haitians living in Haiti, the US, and Canada.
