Psychological mechanisms hindering the mourning process among widows of spouses who were victims of terrorist attacks and intercommunity conflicts in Burkina Faso

Terrorist attacks and inter-community conflicts, which affect Burkina Faso in some places, cannot leave anyone indifferent, especially with regard to their impact on widows of men who are victims of those scourges. It is in this perspective that the current study is situated. It aims to highlight the dynamics of post-traumatic stress symptoms and their impact on the mourning process of widows of people who died in terrorist crises and intercommunity conflicts. This is done through three case studies using the semi-directive clinical interview method performed on the site of internally displaced persons in Barsalogho, Center North of Burkina Faso. The thematic content analysis was conducted on the verbal material collected. It reveals that the type of post-traumatic stress disorder, the brutality and virulence of the beloved one’s death, the experience and the reaction to the tragedy, complicate the mourning process for widows.