Psychological Experiences of the Guatemalan Civil War and postwar Violence on a Kaqchikel Community:An Exploratory Qualitative Study

ABSTRACT

The Kaqchikel are an indigenous population who experienced political violence during the civil war and postwar conflict in Guatemala because their political ideology was in opposition to the military government. This formative study explored their trauma experiences and coping skills. We used a community member to recruit our small sample (N = 18) through convenience sampling. Participants expressed anxiety, depression, sadness, fear, and distrust stemming from incidents of trauma and violence and the loss of loved ones. Many participants identified family and community members as their major source of support. Positive coping strategies included having a strong religious faith and work ethic that helped them cope with distress. However, some participants resorted to negative coping behaviors such as alcohol abuse or knew of others who did. Our findings provide useful evidence to develop culturally-sensitive mental health services for this specific indigenous community.

KEYWORDS:

• Indigenous populations
• Kaqchikel
• Guatemala
• civil war
• political trauma