Humanitarian aid organizations have increasingly emphasized providing mental-health services to war victims in recent conflicts, creating a situation in which mental-health professionals are working ever nearer active combat regions. This article identifies key challenges faced by psychiatrists working in a war zone, and underlines specific strategies employed successfully in central Bosnia in overcoming these challenges. Not only relevant to mental-health professionals treating war victims, many of these strategies are applicable for clinicians involved with cross-cultural populations in regions with limited resources. Examples from the Bosnian conflict illuminate the specific challenges and strategies discussed.
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