“Youth do all such things to survive here”: A qualitative study of challenges facing war-affected youth in Sierra Leone.

Abstract

More than 13 years after the end of civil war in Sierra Leone, the lives of youth remain deeply disrupted. This study used the qualitative methodology of free listing among youth and adult caregivers in Sierra Leone to understand the problems facing war-affected youth six and eight years after the cessation of civil war (N ϭ 174). Participants identified 41 unique problems, of which only 6 were directly related to war and war-related trauma. Living standards and shelter, poverty and lack of money, and lack of jobs were the most frequently identified problems, highlighting the salience of basic needs among war-affected youth. These findings illustrate the importance of identifying and attending to war-affected youths' own views of the problems they face. If researchers and practitioners impose outside perspectives on the challenges of war-affected youth, they may miss the more holistic perspective that emerges in youth's own expressed views regarding well-being.

The content and meaning of war experiences: A qualitative study of trauma and resilience among Liberian young refugees in Ghana

“…The findings are consistent with the dark views of childhood and adolescence in war conditions in Uganda (Schultz et al., 2012), Rwanda (Neugebauer et al., 2009), and Sierra Leone (Denov, 2010), reflecting the psychological, social, and physical suffering of traumatic stress. However, the findings also demonstrate the participants’ resilience and motivation to gain strength and break down violent, traumatic, vicious circles, supporting earlier studies on African war survivors (Efevbera & Betancourt, 2016; Harnisch & Montgomery, 2017).…”

“…For example, a study found that Ugandan war-affected youth regard silence about their traumatic past as representing individual and community strength and cultural capital (Akello, Reis, & Richters, 2010). Qualitative studies have revealed highly nuanced, multiple, adjustment-focused, personal meanings of trauma and described the unique ways survivors continue their lives despite severe trauma (Denov, 2010; Efevbera & Betancourt, 2016). Research has also reported local idioms and meanings for mental health symptoms; for instance, Ugandan adolescents develop specific gestures and interactions in kumu —“sitting while holding one’s cheek with hands” or “not greeting people” (Betancourt, Speelman, Onyango, & Bolton, 2009, p. 251).…”

Children and armed conflict: Introduction and overview.

“…Their findings highlight the gap that frequently exists between local understandings of war-affected children and those constructed by international agencies. Efevbera and Betancourt (2016) report on the biggest expressed needs of youth in pre-Ebola Sierra Leone, at both six and eight years after the war had ended. In a free listing methodology, youth identified mostly problems that were not related to armed conflict per se but to current daily stresses such as difficult economic and living conditions.…”

Doing research in conflict contexts: Practical and ethical challenges for researchers when conducting fieldwork.

“…She also participated in trauma counselor training prior to undertaking her research, and had local trained trauma counselors available to her participants. In their work with youth in Sierra Leone, Efevbera and Betancourt (2016) took similar measures.…”