This article reflects on a methodological research proposal developed from the perspective of interdisciplinary action research in the context of fear-coping interventions for older people in seven rural areas of southern Chile, following the earthquake and tsunami of February 2010. First, we used interventions based on music and art therapy to gather information on their emotional condition. We not only identified high levels of psychological stress, but also that their strengths were related to the Chilean culture and folk traditions. The creative strategies used proved to be therapeutic and healing, since participants reported they were able to express their fears, giving new meaning to their experiences in a collective context. The results highlight the importance of engaging with community members in the production of knowledge, and in defining collectively the cultural pertinence of interventions. It concludes with a discussion about the possibility of replicating this proposal in post-disaster intervention contexts.
CyrulnikB. (2003) El murmullo de los fantasmas. Volver a la vida despues del trauma. [The ghosts whispers. Coming back to life after trauma], Barcelona, Spain: Editorial Gedisa.
4.
EpstonD.WhiteM.MurrayK. (1996) Una propuesta para re-escribir la terapia. Rose: La revisión de su vida y un comentario. [A proposal to re-write therapy. Rose: The review of her life and a commentary]. In: McNameeS.GergenK. (eds) La terapia como construcción social [Therapy as social construction], Barcelona, Spain: Paidos, pp. 121–141.
5.
Fals-BordaO. (1985) Conocimiento y poder popular: Lecciones con campesinos en Nicaragua, México y Colombia. [Knowledge and popular power: Lessons with peasants in Nicaragua, Mexico and Colombia], Bogotá, Colombia: Siglo XXI.
6.
FreireP. (1986) Pedagogy of the oppressed, New York, NY: The Continuum Publishing Company.
7.
GeertzC. (2005) La interpretación de las culturas [The interpretation of cultures], Barcelona, Spain: Gedisa.
8.
GergenK. (1996) Realidades y relaciones. Aproximaciones a la construcción social. [Realities and relations. Approaches to social construction], Barcelona, España: Paidos Básica.
9.
HalbwachsM. (1992) On collective memory, Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
10.
HermanJ. (1997) Trauma and recovery: The aftermath of violence-from domestic abuse to political terror, New York, NY: Basics Books.
11.
IturraA.KinkeadB. (2011) La reacción psicológica en situaciones de emergencias, desastres y catástrofes [The psychological reaction in emergency, disaster and catastrophic situations]. In: IsraelR.MorrisonR.YáñezV. (eds) Acción interdisciplinaria y reconstrucción national. La vision desde el derecho, la psicología, el trabajo social y los estudios municipales [Interdisciplinary action and national reconstruction. A vision from the law, the psychology, the social work and the municipal studies], Santiago, Chile: Ril Editores.
12.
KaganC.BurtonM.SiddiqueeA. (2007) Action research. In: WilligC.Stainton-RogersW. (eds) The Sage handbook of qualitative research in psychology, London, UK: SAGE, pp. 32–53.
13.
KarkouV.SandersonP. (2006) Defining arts therapies. In: KarkouV.SandersonP. (eds) Arts therapies a research based map of the field, London, England: Elsiever, pp. 29–48.
Lira, E. (Ed.). (1997). Reparación, derechos humanos y salud mental [Reparation, human rights and mental health]. Santiago, Chile: Ediciones CESOC.
16.
MendozaJ. (2005) Exordio a la memoria colectiva y el olvido social [Preamble to collective memory and social oblivion]. Athenea Digital8: 1–26.
17.
Ministerio de Salud (MINSAL) (2009) Comunas vulnerables [Vulnerable communities], Santiago, Chile: Secretaría de Determinantes Sociales de Salud.
18.
MonteroM. (2000) Participation in participatory action research. Annual Review of Critical Psychology2: 131–143.
19.
Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) (2010) El terremoto y tsunami del 27 de febrero en Chile. Crónica y lecciones asumidas en el sector salud [The earthquake and tsunami of February 27 in Chile. Chronicle and lessons learned in the health sector], Santiago, Chile: Author.
20.
Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS). (2010). Grupo de Referencia del Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) para la Salud Mental y el Apoyo Psicosocial en Situaciones de Emergencias. Salud mental y apoyo psicosocial en emergencias humanitarias: Qué deben saber los actores humanitarios de salud? [Mental health and psychosocial support in humanitarian emergencies. What do the humanitarian health actors know?]. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
21.
ReyesP. (2014) Arte, salud y comunidad: 1992–2012. Una perspectiva autoetnográfica [Art, health and community: 1992–2012. An autoethnographic perspective]. ATOL Arte Therapy on Line5(1): 1–26.
22.
SerranoM.CastroB.SerranoP.OrtizV. (2011) Terremoto después del terremoto. Trauma y resiliencia [Earthquake after the earthquake. Trauma and resilience], Santiago, Chile: Uqbar Editores.
23.
TuanY. (2007) Topofilia. Un estudio de las percepciones, actitudes y valores sobre el entorno [Topofilia. A study about perceptions, attitudes and values about the environment], Tenerife, España: Editorial Melusina.
24.
Van der KolkB. (1994) The body keeps the score: Memory and the evolving psychobiology of posttraumatic stress. Harvard Review of Psychiatry1(5): 253–265.
