The Department of Psychology of the University of San Carlos provided psychosocial services to evacuees from war-torn Marawi City housed in Cagayan de Oro City to help the government in its rebuilding efforts.
The 15-member USC Psychology team composed of faculty members and graduate students administered psychological first aid to evacuees who have been housed at the Cagayan de Oro National High School.
Led by department chairman Dr. Glenn Glarino, the USC team also provided trainings on how to conduct psychosocial support to the teachers of the school.
Some 90 evacuees, mostly high school students and their parents, became beneficiaries of the psychological first aid, an integral approach to helping victims of crises.
Psychosocial services, such as psychological first aid, are needed to appease the negative and potentially traumatizing experiences, explained Glarino.
Such experiences could possibly affect the development of the well-being and future growth of victims of tragedies such as wars, he added.
The Marawi seige started in May this year when an armed group called Maute pledged allegiance to the Islamic State, attacked the city and tried to set up a stronghold.
The siege, which lasted for five months, resulted in the death of almost a thousand from the armed group side and hundreds from the government side, and forced the evacuation of thousands of civilians.
There were also civilians who reportedly died during the siege, including evacuees who died from illnesses while at evacuation areas.
Tags: Psychology, Community Extension