The rehabilitation research is organised thematically in accordance with the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF, WHO 2001). ICF consists of a context-sensitive classification of domains for a person in a given health situation grouped according to functional capacity and level of functioning, activity and participation.

In health care systems across the world the rehabilitation of torture survivors has until now largely been based on clinical experience seen from an illness perspective rather than being based on scientific evidence seen in a professional rehabilitation perspective. However, the RCT Rehabilitation Clinic and RCT’s Southern partners’ rehabilitation activities provide the possibility accomplishing a number of method and research projects with a view to undertaking a more systematic gathering of knowledge in a functioning perspective.

A desk study comprising a systematic review of the literature from medical science on torture rehabilitation was concluded in 2005. Also, two longitudinal studies in which RCT clients were monitored for 22 months as well as a follow-up study of clients treated at RCT 10 years ago were concluded and the results has been published. The knowledge which has been obtained through these projects has formed the basis for formulating RCT’s research policy and for the elaboration of new research projects.

In 2008-2009 there will be a thematic focus on the development of knowledge within the following main areas:

    • TOV-related physical and mental symptoms (impairments) and the treatment thereof. 
    • Effect (on activity and participation) of well-defined rehabilitation programmes.