A psychosocial support programme for children and mothers in war

This article describes the content and implementation of a psychosocial intervention programme that was found to have positive effects on mothers and children in Bosnia. The programme was designed to aid young children and their primary caregiver who were victims of war. The main aim was to promote the emotional, social and intellectual development and well-being of young children. The programme consisted of weekly group meetings for mothers over a five-month period and focused on coping with problems and promoting good mother–child interaction. The mothers were given information about child development, social interaction and trauma. Group leaders helped the mothers to conduct constructive discussions, share experiences and support each other. Lessons learnt from implementation of the programme are discussed.