Testemunhos de Sobreviventes ao Desastre de 2011 em Petrópolis: Abordagem Psicossocial em um Campo Ferido.

This paper presents an analysis of testimonies taken from survivors of 2011 Vale do Cuiabá (Petrópolis, RJ) disaster, located at the highland region of Rio de Janeiro State, based on a psychosocial approach. Testimonies were collected seven years after the tragedy through individual and group interviews. They reveal that the disaster still goes on for those people. Among the results, it is evident that respondents perceived themselves as survivors and not as affected population or victims; the experience of abandonment remains with the absence of State; and the public policies model has shattered communitarian relationship, compromising interpersonal communication. It stands out that the disaster will endure while social suffering from affected people remains, and there is a necessity of developing a more comprehensive and qualified approach for the professionals who take action on disaster situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]