A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire
There have been increasing calls to coproduce psychological initiatives and services for children and young people to improve access to mental health services and service user experience. This paper outlines the development of an innovative therapeutic group for young people affected by collective t...
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| Language: | English |
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Michigan Publishing
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Journal of Muslim Mental Health |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/jmmh/article/id/514/ |
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| author | Amell El Guenuni Becky Canton Fatima El Guenuni Jeyda Hammad Rajaa Chellat |
| author_facet | Amell El Guenuni Becky Canton Fatima El Guenuni Jeyda Hammad Rajaa Chellat |
| author_sort | Amell El Guenuni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | There have been increasing calls to coproduce psychological initiatives and services for children and young people to improve access to mental health services and service user experience. This paper outlines the development of an innovative therapeutic group for young people affected by collective trauma and loss who were reluctant to engage with mainstream services following the Grenfell Tower fire. The June 2017 apartment building fire was one of the largest and deadliest to occur in the United Kingdom (UK) in decades, with 72 deaths. The project’s central principle was partnership and coproduction with potential users and offering a culturally appropriate service. Its aim was to meet the mental health and other needs of young people, support them through their bereavement and trauma, and to improve access to mental health services by addressing the barriers they reported. The group approach used community psychology and systemic principles, narrative therapy concepts, creative arts, and collective memorialization. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 14 Moroccan-origin adolescents, 13 whom identify as Muslim. A thematic analysis was conducted. Findings indicated the benefits of collective memorialization and therapeutic groups, such as improved emotional expression, recognition of shared Grenfell-related experiences, strengthened social support networks and subjugated narratives, and reduced social isolation and stigma. The evaluation findings indicated that the group’s coproduction and collaboration between statutory services, potential/service users, and community organizations improved community engagement, access to mental health services, and service provision for children and young people from Moroccan and Muslim backgrounds. Note: Any views expressed in this service evaluation are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-90a812ddf0e7476f9d90f20df6c4584e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1556-5009 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | Michigan Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Muslim Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-90a812ddf0e7476f9d90f20df6c4584e2025-08-20T02:48:41ZengMichigan PublishingJournal of Muslim Mental Health1556-50092022-09-0116210.3998/jmmh.514A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower FireAmell El Guenuni0Becky Canton1Fatima El Guenuni2Jeyda Hammad3Rajaa Chellat4Grenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UKFamily Action Grenfell Well Community Team, London, UKGrenfell Health and Wellbeing Service, Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC), London, UKN/aMaking Communities Work and Grow, London, UKThere have been increasing calls to coproduce psychological initiatives and services for children and young people to improve access to mental health services and service user experience. This paper outlines the development of an innovative therapeutic group for young people affected by collective trauma and loss who were reluctant to engage with mainstream services following the Grenfell Tower fire. The June 2017 apartment building fire was one of the largest and deadliest to occur in the United Kingdom (UK) in decades, with 72 deaths. The project’s central principle was partnership and coproduction with potential users and offering a culturally appropriate service. Its aim was to meet the mental health and other needs of young people, support them through their bereavement and trauma, and to improve access to mental health services by addressing the barriers they reported. The group approach used community psychology and systemic principles, narrative therapy concepts, creative arts, and collective memorialization. Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with 14 Moroccan-origin adolescents, 13 whom identify as Muslim. A thematic analysis was conducted. Findings indicated the benefits of collective memorialization and therapeutic groups, such as improved emotional expression, recognition of shared Grenfell-related experiences, strengthened social support networks and subjugated narratives, and reduced social isolation and stigma. The evaluation findings indicated that the group’s coproduction and collaboration between statutory services, potential/service users, and community organizations improved community engagement, access to mental health services, and service provision for children and young people from Moroccan and Muslim backgrounds. Note: Any views expressed in this service evaluation are of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employers.https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/jmmh/article/id/514/MoroccanMuslimcollective traumacommunity psychologynarrative therapycommunity engagement |
| spellingShingle | Amell El Guenuni Becky Canton Fatima El Guenuni Jeyda Hammad Rajaa Chellat A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire Journal of Muslim Mental Health Moroccan Muslim collective trauma community psychology narrative therapy community engagement |
| title | A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire |
| title_full | A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire |
| title_fullStr | A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire |
| title_short | A Coproduced Traumatic Bereavement Therapeutic Group for Moroccan Adolescents Affected by the Grenfell Tower Fire |
| title_sort | coproduced traumatic bereavement therapeutic group for moroccan adolescents affected by the grenfell tower fire |
| topic | Moroccan Muslim collective trauma community psychology narrative therapy community engagement |
| url | https://journals.publishing.umich.edu/jmmh/article/id/514/ |
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