Obstacles to Achieving Mental Health in Post-War Guatemala: The Intersection of Political and Structural Violence

Abstract

From 1960 to 1996 Guatemala was ravaged by civil war and massacres. Despite the signing of peace agreements in 1996, however, the country remains haunted by the suffering and violence of the past. This essay focuses on the psychological consequences of the war and examines the various obstacles to achieving mental health in post-war Guatemala. It examines the climate of fear, reprisal, and intimidation still present as the residues of political violence, and argues that it poses great limitations on the possible outcomes of mental health work in the country. This essay also examines the structural violence that pervades Guatemala and demonstrates that the effects of political violence are exacerbated by the effects of ongoing structural violence, making the goal of achieving mental health more distant. Additionally, this essay considers how social problems resulting from the intersection of political and structural violence in Guatemala, such as tile high levels of crime, insecurity and everyday violence, may become embodied by individuals.