Psychosocial Adjustment and Social Reintegration of Children Associated with Armed Forces and Armed Groups: The State of the Field and Future Directions

Community-Implemented Trauma Therapy for Former Child Soldiers in Northern Uganda

“…[5][6][7][8][9][10] Researchers reporting on the rehabilitation and reintegration of former child soldiers recommend that efficient treatment programs targeting posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and other psychological problems must be a component of rehabilitation and reintegration efforts. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] However, to date there is no available treatment with proven efficacy for the treatment of PTSD or depression in former child soldiers. 12 Research on interventions with children and youths traumatized by war and organized violence is still scarce.…”

Delivering Interventions to Young People Exposed to War-Related Violence and Sexual Exploitation: Longstanding Struggles but Lasting Successes

“…Although the Betancourt et al (2008) study focused on child soldiers, their findings mirror the conclusions of a systematic literature review of psychosocial and mental healthcare interventions for children affected by war and conflict (Jordans et al, 2009). The authors identified a " serious lack of rigorous studies evaluating psychosocial care for children affected by war" (p. 2).…”

“…Although there is no shortage of studies documenting psychological distress in war-affected children, research on the most effective interventions to deal with this distress is scant. A report on psychosocial adjustment and social integration of children affected by armed conflict (Betancourt et al, 2008) found research gaps in nearly every field possible: the evaluation of interventions for children in conflict, the role of traditional healing ceremonies, cross-cultural measures of mental health constructs, longitudinal studies, prevention, protection and care of children, training of local staff in locally viable and health sustainable mental programmes, the integration of other service systems, qualitative and quantitative methods of research in the field, the impact of sexual violence on girls, and the like (Betancourt et al, 2008).…”

Children of Former Child Soldiers and Never-Conscripted Civilians: A Preliminary Intergenerational Study in Burundi

“…Even though the research team traveled to participants' homes, many children were difficult to locate, as they were scattered throughout the villages during the day. Another limitation is that some study measures had to be altered for ease of use in this subject sample, and the study instruments have not specifically been validated in the Burundian context or with FCSs, a general problem in the field of global mental health research (Betancourt et al, 2008). Our study provides a preliminary insight into the experience of being a child of a FCS, but the findings cannot be applied universally to all families of FCSs.…”