Reuters AlertNet Lite - Impact of physical, mental torture similar-study

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

Impact of physical, mental torture similar-study

05 Mar 2007 21:49:36 GMT
Source: Reuters

CHICAGO, March 5 (Reuters) - Researchers who studied prisoners in the former Yugoslavia reported on Monday that psychological torment and humiliation can inflict as much terror and trauma as physical torture.

The study's authors, who are psychologists at King's College, University of London, and Clinical Hospital Zvezdara in Belgrade, said the findings pointed to a need for a broad definition of torture.

Interrogation techniques have stirred controversy in the United States after evidence emerged of detainee abuse in Iraq and Afghanistan, and after revelations the CIA ran secret prisons outside the the United States for terrorism suspects.

Based on the responses of 279 former prisoners who included Bosnians, Croats and Serbs, the study said it was hard to distinguish between the psychological damage exerted by mental versus physical forms of torture.

As distressing as physical torture were such techniques as sham executions, threats of rape, sexual advances, humiliating treatment, sleep deprivation and witnessing the torture of others, they said.

The unpredictability and loss of control created by mental torture can produce similar levels of anxiety, fear and helplessness as physical torture and leave comparable long-term psychological scars.

United Nations conventions that bar torture refer to it as "severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental," study author Metin Basoglu of King's College wrote.

Of the study participants, 241 were men and 192 had been in detention camps, with the torture experiences occurring roughly eight years earlier.

All had experienced at least one form of physical torture -- such as beatings -- in addition to mental torture, which made it difficult to disentangle the effects of each.

But based on the detainees' scoring of how stressful each method of torture was, and the incidence of mental illness and post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from it, the authors concluded there was no substantial difference between mental and physical torture.

AlertNet news is provided by

Email this article Send comments

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Bosnia-Herzegovina profile
· View map

• Iraq profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• AJWS Grantees Featured at United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
AJWS - USA

• ADRA Receives Highest Rating by Leading Charity Evaluator
ADRA - International

• Medical Teams International volunteers receive national honor
Medical Teams International - USA

• Medical Teams International volunteers receive national honor
Medical Teams International - USA

• Medical Teams International volunteers receive national honor
Medical Teams International - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

• Impact of physical, mental torture similar-study

• Rebel Georgian area upbeat after inconclusive vote

• U.S.-backed Peru police recruit indigenous youths

• U.S. special envoy plans to meet Sudan's leader

• US Army hospital problems widespread, lawmakers say

MORE >>

Last updated:Mon Mar 5 21:50:16 2007