Caregiver Psychopathology, Resilience, and Their Associations with Social-Emotional Challenges of Young Children Affected by Armed Conflict in Colombia

Abstract

We examined the social and emotional challenges (SEC) of young children and the mental health of their caregivers in areas affected by armed conflict and displacement in Colombia. Anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms were assessed in 1,133 caregivers. Caregivers also reported on the SEC of their children aged 21–53 months. A subsample of 487 caregivers (43%) completed a resilience self-report measure. Caregivers reported substantial levels of psychopathology ranging from 12.84% of caregivers with elevated anxiety levels, 24.5% who scored above the cutoff on the PTSD measure, and 44.7% who screened positive for depression. Correlations (r) between child SEC and caregiver psychopathology ranged from 0.15 to 0.33. The association between caregiver depression and child SEC was more substantial for boys (B = 0.56) than girls (B = 0.22). We also found that girls whose caregivers reported elevated levels of psychopathology and low levels of caregiver resilience received the highest ratings of caregiver-reported SEC. The importance of caregiver-child resilience-focused psychosocial support is discussed.