Societal PTSD? Historic shock in Northern Ireland

Abstract

Can there be a societal form of PTSD? Do other individual constellations have a societal parallel? Are there implications for psychotherapists? The answer to these questions is ‘yes’; but this must be systematically demonstrated. In the world of psychoanalysis there has been a tendency, in addressing societal questions, to abandon the rigour of the consulting room, and to resort to long-distance speculation. This paper describes some of the work of the Irish Institute for Psycho‐Social Studies in studying the Protestant community in Northern and Southern Ireland, and particularly a paramilitary‐dominated community in Belfast. It details both methodology and findings, and shows powerful parallels between the experience and attitudes of this community and the experience of individual PTSD. This ongoing work will undoubtedly have value for policy makers. For psychotherapists there are important implications about the existence of cultural pathology in a client's psyche – and perhaps the psychotherapist's!