The field of torture treatment is so new—less than 20 years old—that very little research and few research protocols exist. CVT is working with treatment programs and researchers around the world to create measures and conduct studies on intervention effectiveness.  Our research focuses on two questions:

• What is the impact of torture on individuals, families and communities?
  
• How effective are current treatment methods?

Traditionally, researchers have measured torture’s effect by focusing on past trauma and on psychological symptoms.

At CVT, our research methods recognize that ongoing events in survivors’ lives and their ability to function on a daily basis are important factors to consider in the healing process.  Taking this into account, we continue to develop “measures of adaptation” in order to understand how survivors function and to find new ways to promote healing.