What are the human consequences of conflict and what are the appropriate service responses? This book seeks to provide an answer to these important questions, drawing on over twenty-five years of work by the author in Northern Ireland and elsewhere.

Introduction1 The Omagh bombing and the community’s response 2 The Omagh Community Trauma and Recovery Team 3 Assessing the mental-health impact of the Omagh bombing4 The mental-health impact of the Troubles, 1969–995 The mental-health impact of the Troubles, 2000–156 The Northern Ireland Centre for Trauma and Transformation: a comprehensive trauma centre7 The development of a trauma-focused therapy programme8 Trauma-focused skills training for practitioners 9 Research, advocacy and policy support10 Planning for and responding to the mental health impact of conflictPost script: the rupture of loss and traumaIndex

This book describes the mental health impact of conflict in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2015 along with the efforts to understand and respond to the emerging needs. It seeks to understand the personal and community impacts of violence on health and well-being, and their social and political consequences. The account takes the reader from the community tragedy and mental health crisis of the Omagh bombing of 1998, through the efforts of a range of individuals and organisations to assess and respond to the needs of the community. Bolton describes how an evidence-based, specialist, trauma-focused service was developed, how training and education programmes were established, and explores the ground-breaking research undertaken to better understand the needs of individuals and the wider community. Located within the context of ongoing violence and a struggling peace process, the book describes how addressing the mental health impact and burden of conflict has to be a key priority for peacemakers if they are to build a sustainable society in which as many as possible can be stakeholders.

The author writes from the heart, with the experience of a highly respected practitioner and researcher, and with a very personal yet professional relationship with victims and survivors. Rev. Harold Good, Former President of the Methodist Church in Ireland and witness to the decommissioning of the IRA and ETA weaponry.This is a magnificent contribution not just to the British/Irish troubles but to every region and every country where the agony and horror of violence has penetrated and mangled the human spirit.Denis Bradley, Co-Chair Consultative Group on the PastThis is a book full of civility, humanism and evidence in relation to the psychological consequences of societal violence.Brendan Bunting, Professor of Psychology, Ulster UniversityDavid Bolton writes with insight in this admirable book. I have rarely encountered an individual so committed and dedicated to making the ragged edges of peace less painful. David McKittrick, co-author of Lost Lives, the compilation of Troubles related deaths in Northern Ireland.David Bolton brings over 30 years of field experience in Northern Ireland to this book through which he shares his insights of conflict-related trauma and recovery, supported with empirical research evidence, with all humanitarians working in conflicted societies. Fergus Cooper OBE, Former Save the Children Head of Country, in Northern Ireland‘If there is one book that should be required reading for our MLAs, it is [this]. The book is a timely reminder that while the Assembly remains suspended and political progress remains stalled, victims and survivors of violence continue to live with the consequences of the past…The book is also designed to appeal to an international audience. There is much to be learned and applied from the examples of good practice developed in the aftermath of Omagh and in the research/evidence-based approach of the partnership between NICTT and Ulster University…I am heartened that people in other parts of the world may learn from those who have suffered in Northern Ireland. But I hope that the learning in Northern Ireland itself has not stopped, and that our politicians and policy makers heed Bolton’s message about what remains to be done.’Gladys Ganiel, Slugger O’toole, October 2017‘What prompted Bolton to write the book was the conflict in Syria and, before that, in Iraq. He hopes it will be of use to counsellors and psychiatrists and psychotherapists and anyone trying to deal with the traumatic impact of conflict.’Gerry Moriarty, Irish Times, August 2017‘This is a timely book to remind us what happens when we don’tnourish peace or build public infrastructures to ensure that violence andinjustice cannot succeed. It is timely not only because of recent events inNorthern Ireland that might evoke divisions from the past, but also because ofrecent events in London and Manchester, hate crime, and the shortcomings ofdemocratic voting- not to mention also the importance of looking now at theintergenerational problems that await the people in Syria and other Middle EastCountries.’Dr Derek Indoe Consultant Clinical and Forensic Psychologist,British Journal of Psychology‘This is a timely book to remind us what happens when we don't nourish peace or build public infrastructures to ensure that violence and injustice cannot succeed. It is timely not only because of recent events in Northern Ireland that might evoke divisions from the past, but also because of recent events in London and Manchester, hate crime, and the shortcomings of democratic voting- not to mention also the importance of looking now at the intergenerational problems that await the people in Syria and other Middle East countries.’Dr Derek Indoe, Independent catholic news