Education

Haunted by the war

TU Delft wants to reach out to students who are worried about the fate of their relatives in Iraq or its bordering countries. But offering financial and psychological support isn’t as easy as it seems.

Like an evil ghost determined never to let go of its victims, war casts a long shadow. The conflict in Iraq is no exception. While the average TU Delft students may, with some difficulty, be able to shrug off gruesome images of civilians caught in the crossfire, it’s a different story for those who are worried sick about their relatives in the region. For them, whether they’re from Iraq, Iran or Turkey, concentrating on their forthcoming exams becomes a near to impossible task.

It’s a ‘failure’ that no reasonable person would hold against these students. Indeed, the TU Delft wants to offer them financial compensation for the period they aren’t able to study successfully. And that arrangement may extend to a period after the war. ,,It would be naive to assume that the day the war stops, all their worries will be over”, says Piet Jonkheer, a TU dean of students.

By providing financial assistance, TU Delft is trying to compensate the students for lost time. But the problem goes much deeper than that, as TU Delft’s student psychologists can testify to. The failure to concentrate on ones studies can trigger feelings of guilt and depression. ,,Often, people who’ve fled countries like Iraq feel a deep sense of obligation to the ones they%ve had to leave behind, especially if they are the oldest sons”, says student psychologist Paula Meesters. ,,In a sense, they’re studying for their families. It’s what keeps them going. And when that study falls away, it’s very hard to take.”

TU psychologists have a lot of experience with helping students from countries like Sudan, Iran, Iraq and Ethiopia. ,,For them, going to a psychologist is culturally quite a large step to take”, Meesters says. ,,When they finally seek our help, it’s usually because they%re traumatised. They’ve been tortured in prison, their brother is still missing% terrible things like that.” Sometimes, a student comes to the attention of the psychologists because he has suddenly trashed his room or displayed suicidal tendencies.

The student psychologists offer a short, but highly effective, program, which helps students deal with their traumas. By using mental association techniques, they help students get rid of their fears. But the psychologists are in no way rigid in their approach. ,,Sometimes the best thing is to ‘cover up’ the trauma, because it’s still too fresh”, says student psychologist H. Schenkel. Often, they refer these students to specialists % for instance, a psychotherapist who is also an Iraqi.

Nevertheless, it remains a daunting task to reach students who may require this treatment. ,,When you’ve grown up in a country like Iraq, you tend to be distrustful of institutions”, Schenkel says. ,,It’s very important to get across to the students the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality: absolute discretion.”

Dean of students Piet Jonkheer also acknowledges that it’s difficult to help these students, because they want to solve their own problems. ,,The last thing we want to be is pushy”, Jonkheer emphasises. ,,But I genuinely believe we have something valuable to offer.”

Appointments with a dean of students or student psychologist can be made via the student facility’s centre’s front office.

www.sfc.tudelft.nl . .

Like an evil ghost determined never to let go of its victims, war casts a long shadow. The conflict in Iraq is no exception. While the average TU Delft students may, with some difficulty, be able to shrug off gruesome images of civilians caught in the crossfire, it’s a different story for those who are worried sick about their relatives in the region. For them, whether they’re from Iraq, Iran or Turkey, concentrating on their forthcoming exams becomes a near to impossible task.

It’s a ‘failure’ that no reasonable person would hold against these students. Indeed, the TU Delft wants to offer them financial compensation for the period they aren’t able to study successfully. And that arrangement may extend to a period after the war. ,,It would be naive to assume that the day the war stops, all their worries will be over”, says Piet Jonkheer, a TU dean of students.

By providing financial assistance, TU Delft is trying to compensate the students for lost time. But the problem goes much deeper than that, as TU Delft’s student psychologists can testify to. The failure to concentrate on ones studies can trigger feelings of guilt and depression. ,,Often, people who’ve fled countries like Iraq feel a deep sense of obligation to the ones they%ve had to leave behind, especially if they are the oldest sons”, says student psychologist Paula Meesters. ,,In a sense, they’re studying for their families. It’s what keeps them going. And when that study falls away, it’s very hard to take.”

TU psychologists have a lot of experience with helping students from countries like Sudan, Iran, Iraq and Ethiopia. ,,For them, going to a psychologist is culturally quite a large step to take”, Meesters says. ,,When they finally seek our help, it’s usually because they%re traumatised. They’ve been tortured in prison, their brother is still missing% terrible things like that.” Sometimes, a student comes to the attention of the psychologists because he has suddenly trashed his room or displayed suicidal tendencies.

The student psychologists offer a short, but highly effective, program, which helps students deal with their traumas. By using mental association techniques, they help students get rid of their fears. But the psychologists are in no way rigid in their approach. ,,Sometimes the best thing is to ‘cover up’ the trauma, because it’s still too fresh”, says student psychologist H. Schenkel. Often, they refer these students to specialists % for instance, a psychotherapist who is also an Iraqi.

Nevertheless, it remains a daunting task to reach students who may require this treatment. ,,When you’ve grown up in a country like Iraq, you tend to be distrustful of institutions”, Schenkel says. ,,It’s very important to get across to the students the concept of doctor-patient confidentiality: absolute discretion.”

Dean of students Piet Jonkheer also acknowledges that it’s difficult to help these students, because they want to solve their own problems. ,,The last thing we want to be is pushy”, Jonkheer emphasises. ,,But I genuinely believe we have something valuable to offer.”

Appointments with a dean of students or student psychologist can be made via the student facility’s centre’s front office.

www.sfc.tudelft.nl . .

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