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Genie gestript is een theoretische uitzetting of verantwoording bij mijn beeldverhaal Genie, een beeldverhaal of grafische vertelling over de vaderzoonrelatie doorheen mijn leven. Ik leg in dit werkstuk uit hoe ik gekomen ben tot het kiezen van een masterproject waarin de schommelende relatie tussen mijn vader, tevens een kunstenaar, en ik aan bod komt. Ik begin met de analyse van de psychologische en filosofische kant van het verhaal en doe dit aan de hand van begrippen en theorieën van Kalat, Maslow en Vatersuche. Daarna leg ik uit wat de grote moeilijkheid was in mijn verhaal, namelijk de representatie van mijn vader of anders, welk beeld dat ik mijn lezer wilde meegeven over mijn vader. Net zoals in onze relatie, waar het ook niet zwart-wit is, wilde ik een evenwichtig beeld creëren. En hoe elk hoofdstuk een representatie is van een andere periode, een ander gevoel of beeld, in onze relatie. Ik eindig dan met de praktijk. Met andere woorden welke praktische aspecten ik al dan niet heb toegepast om een bepaald beeld van mijn vader te creëren. Door tekeningen donker te maken, door teksten en dialogen aan te passen, door elementen te tekenen die een zekere context brengen, enzovoort.

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As of 2023, 114 million individuals have been forcibly displaced worldwide following conflict, violence, persecution or human rights violations. As a result, there has been an increased prevalence of mental health problems among refugees. The Russian invasion in 2022 forced Ukrainians to leave their country behind and end up in utterly distinct host societies. Here, they had to deal with pre-, during-, and post-migratory stressors as refugees underwent migration and exile. To answer this public health issue, community-based psychosocial support groups for Ukrainian refugees and immigrants affiliated with KU Leuven were set up by the Transcultural Trauma Care Team working with survivors of collective violence and forced displacement at PraxisP KU Leuven. Initially, the support group served as a safe space for people to share and listen to each other. In general, the purpose of this community-based intervention was to embed psychosocial care within family and community relationships in a diasporic context. Previous research highlighted the importance and usefulness of community-based interventions. However, due to the recency of these interventions, not much research has already been done. Therefore, additional research is needed surrounding working mechanisms in community based interventions. In doing so, this study contributed to knowledge and working mechanisms of community-based care. The following research questions were addressed: How do Ukrainian participants experience this community-based intervention in dealing with collective violence and migration? How do Ukrainian participants experience community-based relationships in this community-based intervention in coping with pre- and post-migratory stressors in a new host society? To answer these questions, semi-structured interviews were conducted halfway through and after the group program. Thematic analysis was used to process, analyse and further convert the qualitative data into relevant themes. This study highlighted the significance of community-based interventions in supporting participant's well-being. Participants identified various processes of sharing, listening, and having a structured, guided place to go for themselves and to connect. Through these processes, more profound meaning-making followed as participants regained self-understanding, identity, belonging, and relatability. They felt supported, safe, understood, and were able to transfer learned interventions in their daily lives. Lastly, a sensitivity for ambivalent topics was prevalent. Although the study had limitations, such as inconsistent attendance, and group homogeneity. These findings provide valuable insights and highlight the importance of community-based approaches in supporting the psychosocial well-being of refugees. Further research should validate these findings, address practical challenges, and could incorporate quantitative measures for an effect-research. Clinical suggestions to improve the intervention were to provide participants a clear structure and content for each session, which could enhance predictability and engagement.