"Breaking the bars of my prison of fear" a trauma- and resilience-informed photovoice model as a community intervention following a human-made collective disaster.

INTRODUCTION

Human-made collective disasters disrupt not only physical safety but also the systems of meaning, relationships, and shared narratives that sustain community life. This article presents a Trauma- and Resilience-Informed Photovoice Model (TRIPVM) as an arts-based community intervention and illustrates its implementation in the Israeli city of Ofakim following the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack.

METHODS

Developed within a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) framework, the model integrates principles of disaster management, trauma- and resilience-informed practice, and the visual arts to support community recovery. The intervention involved 11 community groups facilitated by 22 trained facilitators and combined photography, narrative writing, structured group dialogue, and a public exhibition.

RESULTS

The article describes the model's theoretical foundations, implementation protocol, and practical application through representative examples from the intervention. The model is organized around four complementary principles: (1) constructing resilience narratives; (2) strengthening community recognition and ownership of collective narratives; (3) identifying and mobilizing individual and community coping resources; and (4) fostering agency, choice, and the reframing of traumatic experiences through artistic expression.

DISCUSSION: The proposed model extends Photovoice beyond its traditional role in participatory research by offering a practical, arts-based framework for community recovery following war, terrorism, and other human-made collective disasters.