Mental Health Psychoeducation After Armed Conflict in Tambrauw Regency, West Papua Province

Tenia Kurniawati

doi:10.47616/jamrsss.v7i3.1111

Authors

Tenia Kurniawati Master of Psychology, Muhammadiyah University of Malang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47616/jamrsss.v7i3.1111

Keywords:

Psychoeducation, Mental Health, Trauma, Post-Conflict, Motivation, Papua

Abstract

Armed conflict in Tambrauw Regency, Southwest Papua, caused a prolonged disruption of learning activities, increased anxiety, displacement of communities, and a decline in motivation among teachers and students. This study aims to describe mental health psychoeducation as a trauma recovery effort to restore the teaching and learning process at Bamusbama Junior High School after the November–December 2024 conflict. The method began with a needs assessment through interviews and observations to identify psychological conditions, learning motivation, and factors inhibiting school resumption. A two-day psychoeducation intervention was then conducted using lectures, discussions, role plays, games, and workshops involving principals, teachers, students, parents, communities, and local government. The results showed a significant decrease in anxiety, increased resilience, and increased motivation to learn and teach, as seen from pre–post evaluation and behavioral changes. Students who were previously absent or displaced returned to school, and teachers resumed teaching after months of closure. Mental health psychoeducation proved effective in restoring a sense of security and rebuilding learning culture in post-conflict settings. This indicates that trauma recovery-based psychoeducation is an appropriate strategy to restore educational function in armed conflict areas and can be implemented in other similar contexts.

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