Post-traumatic stress in former Ugandan child soldiers

Derluyn, Ilse; Broekaert, Eric; Schuyten, Gilberte; Temmerman, Els De

doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(04)15734-6

Cited by 280 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…1, 2 Despite the documentation of risks facing child soldiers due to war-related violence, 3 little is known about what influences long-term mental health trajectories and processes of social reintegration. Recent studies on former child soldiers from northern Uganda, 4 the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 5 and Nepal 6 have provided insight into the impact of war experience on reintegration and psychosocial adjustment. Research documents that witnessing, experiencing and perpetrating violence, younger age of involvement, and longer engagement with an armed group all have negative consequences for the mental health and social reintegration of young people.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sierra Leone's Former Child Soldiers: A Longitudinal Study of Risk, Protective Factors, and Mental Health

Betancourt¹,

Brennan²,

Rubin-Smith³

et al. 2010

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

161

240

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Objective To investigate the longitudinal course of internalizing and externalizing problems and adaptive/prosocial behaviors among Sierra Leonean former child soldiers and whether post-conflict factors contribute to adverse or resilient mental health outcomes. Method Male and female former child soldiers (N=260, ages 10–17 at baseline) were recruited from the roster of an NGO-run Interim Care Center in Kono District and interviewed in 2002, 2004 and 2008. The retention rate was 69%. Linear growth models were used to investigate trends related to war and post-conflict experiences. Results The long-term mental health of former child soldiers was associated with war experiences and post-conflict risk factors, which were partly mitigated by post-conflict protective factors. Increases in externalizing behavior were associated with killing/injuring others during the war and post-conflict stigma while increased community acceptance was associated with decreases in externalizing problems (B=−1.09). High baseline levels of internalizing problems were associated with surviving rape while increases were associated with younger involvement in armed groups and social and economic hardships. Improvements in internalizing problems were associated with higher levels of community acceptance and increases in community acceptance (B=−0.86). Decreases in adaptive/prosocial behaviors were associated with killing/injuring others during the war and post-conflict stigma, but partially mitigated by social support, being in school and increased community acceptance (B=1.93). Conclusions Psychosocial interventions for former child soldiers may be more effective if they account for post-conflict factors in addition to war exposures. Youth with accumulated risk factors, lack of protective factors, and persistent distress should be identified; sustainable services to promote community acceptance, reduce stigma, and expand social supports and educational access are recommended.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sierra Leone's Former Child Soldiers: A Longitudinal Study of Risk, Protective Factors, and Mental Health

Betancourt¹,

Brennan²,

Rubin-Smith³

et al. 2010

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

161

240

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“…An important proportion of child soldiers becomes victim of severe sexual abuse or is forced to abuse others. The prevalence of sexual abuse in both male and female child soldiers is only partially known, with reports varying from 5% in the Betancourt study, to 27.8% in the study of Bayer et al [9], to 35% of the interviewed girls in the study of Derluyn et al [4]. However, it is likely that the real incidence of sexual abuse-because of the taboo factors and feelings of shame and burden-is even higher, both for girls and for boys.…”

mentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Far from being incidental, the damage to children is part of a deliberate strategy of total war in which adversaries terrorize, dominate, or destroy civilians as a means of achieving control. Children are not caught in the cross fire; they are direct targets, and even the perpetrators of violence and atrocities [4].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Most child soldiers are adolescents, although many are Յ10 years of age [1]; the majority of child soldiers are boys, but girls are also involved [4].…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies have demonstrated high levels of various psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression, posttraumatic stress), although the impact of child soldiering differs considerably, mediated through a range of factors, such as gender, age, familial characteristics, trauma nature, and the cultural and social context [4,9,12]. However, to date, research disproportionally focused on identifying the impact of child soldiering experiences only, with little attention for the war-affected socioecology influence [13].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Toward a New Agenda for Rehabilitation and Reintegration Processes for Child Soldiers

Derluyn

2011

Journal of Adolescent Health

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Screening for Traumatic Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Adolescents in the War-Affected Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

Mels

Derluyn²,

Broekaert³

et al. 2009

Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med

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Participants: One thousand forty-six adolescents and young adults aged 13 to 21 years completed a selfreport questionnaire. Main Exposures: War-related traumatic events, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and sociodemographic variables. Main Outcomes Measures: The Adolescent Complex Emergency Exposure Scale, specifically designed for this region, screened for exposure to potentially traumatic events, and the Impact of Event Scale-Revised measured symptoms of posttraumatic stress consistent with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria. Results: Among the 477 girls (45.6%) and 569 boys (54.4%) in the study, 95.0% reported at least 1 traumatic event. On average, adolescents were exposed to 4.71 traumatic events, with higher exposure rates reported in boys, older groups, rural and urban areas, and respondents whose mother or father was dead. Of 990 respondents, 52.2% met symptom criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder. Symptom scores were strongly related to cumulative trauma exposure; however, the strength of this relationship differed slightly across living area groups for girls. Conclusion: Adolescents in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo are highly exposed to political violence, putting them at a considerable risk-mediated by living area and sex-to develop posttraumatic stress symptoms.

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Post-traumatic stress in former Ugandan child soldiers

Cited by 280 publications

References 3 publications

Sierra Leone's Former Child Soldiers: A Longitudinal Study of Risk, Protective Factors, and Mental Health

Sierra Leone's Former Child Soldiers: A Longitudinal Study of Risk, Protective Factors, and Mental Health

Toward a New Agenda for Rehabilitation and Reintegration Processes for Child Soldiers

Screening for Traumatic Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Adolescents in the War-Affected Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo

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