The Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa: relation to psychiatric status and forgiveness among survivors of human rights abuses

Background The impact on individual survivors of human rights abuses of tes tifying before South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has not been established. Aims To examine the degree to which participation in the TRC is related to current psychiatric status and forgiveness among survivors. Method Survivors (n=134)who gave public, closed or no testimony to the TRC completed instruments measuring exposure to human rights abuses. exposure t o other traumatic events, current psychiatric status and forgiveness attitu des towards the perpetrator(s). Results There was no significant association between TRC participation and current psychiatric status or current forgiveness attitudes, and low forgiv eness was associated with poorer psychiatric health. Conclusions Truth commissions should form part of rather than be a substitu te for, comprehensive therapeutic interventions for survivors of human righ ts abuses. Lack of forgiveness may be an important predictor of psychiatric risk in this population. Declaration of interest Funded by the Medical Research Council of South Afr ica and by a Harry and Doris Crossley Award.