Mental health and psychosocial support interventions for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence during armed conflict: a systematic review

Abstract Discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence committed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) detainees remains one of the most pressing contemporary humanitarian challenges. This article focuses on the interpretation of the phrase “or any other similar criteria” as contained in Article 3 common to the four Geneva Conventions, upon which adverse distinction is prohibited, in order to qualify sexual orientation and gender identity as prohibited grounds of adverse distinction. The interpretation of “or any other similar criteria” will be embarked upon by employing the general rule of treaty interpretation provided for in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, so as to qualify sexual orientation and gender identity as “any other similar criteria” and ultimately to realize the protection of LGBTQI detainees against discrimination and sexual and gender-based violence during non-international armed conflict.

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Exploring the mental health and psychosocial problems of Congolese refugees living in refugee settings in Rwanda and Uganda: a rapid qualitative study

Conflict and Health ◽

10.1186/s13031-020-00323-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Anna Chiumento ◽

Theoneste Rutayisire ◽

Emmanuel Sarabwe ◽

M. Tasdik Hasan ◽

Rosco Kasujja ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Social Relationships ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Free List ◽

Psychosocial Wellbeing ◽

Key Informant ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender

Abstract Background Refugees fleeing conflict often experience poor mental health due to experiences in their country of origin, during displacement, and in new host environments. Conditions in refugee camps and settlements, and the wider socio-political and economic context of refugees’ lives, create structural conditions that compound the effects of previous adversity. Mental health and psychosocial support services must address the daily stressors and adversities refugees face by being grounded in the lived reality of refugee’s lives and addressing issues relevant to them. Methods We undertook a rapid qualitative study between March and May 2019 to understand the local prioritisation of problems facing Congolese refugees living in two refugee settings in Uganda and Rwanda. Thirty free list interviews were conducted in each setting, followed by 11 key informant interviews in Uganda and 12 in Rwanda. Results Results from all interviews were thematically analysed following a deductive process by the in-country research teams. Free list interview findings highlight priority problems of basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare access; alongside contextual social problems including discrimination/inequity and a lack of gender equality. Priority problems relating to mental and psychosocial health explored in key informant interviews include discrimination and inequity; alcohol and substance abuse; and violence and gender-based violence. Conclusions Our findings strongly resonate with models of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing that emphasise their socially determined and contextually embedded nature. Specifically, findings foreground the structural conditions of refugees’ lives such as the physical organisation of camp spaces or refugee policies that are stigmatising through restricting the right to work or pursue education. This structural environment can lead to disruptions in social relationships at the familial and community levels, giving rise to discrimination/inequity and gender-based violence. Therefore, our findings foreground that one consequence of living in situations of pervasive adversity caused by experiences of discrimination, inequity, and violence is poor mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. This understanding reinforces the relevance of feasible and acceptable intervention approaches that aim to strengthening familial and community-level social relationships, building upon existing community resources to promote positive mental health and psychosocial wellbeing among Congolese refugees in these settings.

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Rebuilding Bridges: Toward a Feminist Research Agenda for Postwar Reconstruction

Politics & Gender ◽

10.1017/s1743923x17000368 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 13 (04) ◽

pp. 715-721 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Suzanne Bergeron ◽

Carol Cohn ◽

Claire Duncanson

Keyword(s):

Political Economy ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Research Agenda ◽

International Political Economy ◽

Security Studies ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Postwar Reconstruction ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Political Economic

As feminists who think about war and peacebuilding, we cannot help but encounter the complex, entwined political economic processes that underlie wars’ causes, their courses, and the challenges of postwar reconstruction. For us, then, the increasing academic division between feminist security studies (FSS) and feminist (international) political economy (FPE/FIPE) has been a cause for concern, and we welcomed Politics & Gender’s earlier Critical Perspectives section on efforts to bridge the two (June 2015). We noticed, however, that although violence was addressed in several of the special section's articles, war made only brief and somewhat peripheral appearances, and peacebuilding was all but absent. While three contributions (Hudson 2015; Sjoberg 2015; True 2015) mentioned the importance of political economy in the analysis of armed conflict, the aspects of war on which the articles focused were militarized sexualities (Sjoberg 2015) or conflict-related and postwar sexual and gender-based violence (Hudson 2015; True 2015).

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Domestic Adjudication of Sexual and Gender-based Violence in Armed Conflict: Considerations for Prosecutors and Judges

African Journal of Legal Studies ◽

10.1163/170873811x567961 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

pp. 85-122

Author(s):

Evelyn W. Kamau

Keyword(s):

Armed Conflict ◽

War Crimes ◽

Crimes Against Humanity ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

International Crimes ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Perceived Challenge ◽

Constituent Elements

AbstractThe increased domestication of international core crimes like genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes has placed national prosecutors and judges on unfamiliar ground. Specifically, though very welcome, the recognition of acts of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) as constituting core international crimes poses a further challenge. The circumstances surrounding the commission of SGBV as international core crimes, coupled with their unique elements and manner of proof, makes their domestic prosecution seem that much more difficult. An understanding of how acts of SGBV constitute international core crimes, their constituent elements and the manner of proving them, coupled with how to treat victims and witnesses of SGBV, goes a long way in easing the perceived challenge of domestically prosecuting them. This article is geared towards achieving that and is directed at people who are involved in or are considering carrying out domestic prosecutions and adjudications of SGBV as international core crimes.

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Examining the Appropriateness of Gender-Inclusion as a Humanitarian Response Mechanism for Conflict-Related Sexual Violence against Men

Journal of Humanitarian Affairs ◽

10.7227/jha.050 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (3) ◽

pp. 35-41

Author(s):

Catherine Akurut

Keyword(s):

Sexual Violence ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Secondary Sources ◽

Humanitarian Response ◽

Conflict Settings ◽

Gender Inclusion ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Gender Specific

This review examines the appropriateness of including men within the existing sexual and gender-based violence programming in armed conflict settings rather than providing services explicitly designed to address their needs. A central premise of the paper is that men experience sexual violence differently to women and that the way they seek help also varies. This gender-specific difference calls into question why humanitarian organisations pursue a ‘gender-inclusion’ approach, which simply extends services designed for women to men. There is a need to reconsider this approach, and specifically its implementation. The paper reviews relevant secondary sources and argues that current practices of sexual and gender-based violence programming fail to translate into actionable responses suited for and sensitive to men.

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Risk of Gender-Based Violence and Poor Mental Health Among Nepalese Women During COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review

Nepal Medical Journal ◽

10.37080/nmj.129 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (2) ◽

pp. 39-46

Author(s):

Lalita Kumari Sah ◽

Prabhu Sah ◽

Manoj Kumar Yadav ◽

Surya B. Parajuli ◽

Rinku Shah

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Service Providers ◽

Poor Mental Health ◽

Service Access ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Health Service Access ◽

Limited Health ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender ◽

Financial Dependency

During Covid-19 pandemic, gender-based violence (GBV) against women and poor mental health with limited health service access for women have received paramount attention among researchers, policy makers, health professionals and healthcare service providers. This paper presents a review of published articles in an attempt to understand GBV and poor mental health among Nepalese women in the context of Covid-19. Evidence suggests that gender inequality and gender-based violence have played a significant role in increasing mental health issues among women during the pandemic. Social factors such as low education, financial dependency, lack of support system, limited access to healthcare, lack of awareness about the GBV laws, and cultural norms that put women in the lower position within the society are the realities of majority of Nepalese women. These factors intersect each other and present compounded risks that put women at more vulnerable position than others, which is further exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic putting Nepalese women at risks of GBV and poor mental health compared to men in the society. The paper also recommends actions that are required to address the GBV and poor mental health among Nepalese women.

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Health Status and Health Care Needs of Drought-Related Migrants in the Horn of Africa—A Qualitative Investigation

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17165917 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (16) ◽

pp. 5917

Author(s):

Kristina Lindvall ◽

John Kinsman ◽

Atakelti Abraha ◽

Abdirisak Dalmar ◽

Mohamed Farah Abdullahi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Health Services ◽

Large Scale ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Horn Of Africa ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Care Needs ◽

Internally Displaced ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender

Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, situated in the Horn of Africa, are highly vulnerable to climate change, which manifests itself through increasing temperatures, erratic rains and prolonged droughts. Millions of people have to flee from droughts or floods either as cross-border refugees or as internally displaced persons (IDPs). The aim of this study was to identify knowledge status and gaps regarding public health consequences of large-scale displacement in these countries. After a scoping review, we conducted qualitative in-depth interviews during 2018 with 39 stakeholders from different disciplines and agencies in these three countries. A validation workshop was held with a selection of 13 interviewees and four project partners. Malnutrition and a lack of vaccination of displaced people are well-known challenges, while mental health problems and gender-based violence (GBV) are less visible to stakeholders. In particular, the needs of IDPs are not well understood. The treatment of mental health and GBV is insufficient, and IDPs have inadequate access to essential health services in refugee camps. Needs assessment and program evaluations with a patients’ perspective are either lacking or inadequate in most situations. The Horn of Africa is facing chronic food insecurity, poor population health and mass displacement. IDPs are an underserved group, and mental health services are lacking. A development approach is necessary that moves beyond emergency responses to the building of long-term resilience, the provision of livelihood support and protection to reduce displacement by droughts.

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Effects of migration on women’s psychosocial health

Oxford Textbook of Migrant Psychiatry ◽

10.1093/med/9780198833741.003.0015 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 137-140

Author(s):

Mauro Carta ◽

Giulia Cossu ◽

Caterina La Cascia

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Psychosocial Health ◽

African Women ◽

Migrant Women ◽

Post Traumatic Stress ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Humanitarian Organizations ◽

Post Traumatic ◽

Gender Based ◽

And Gender

The scientific community and humanitarian organizations have produced a considerable amount of research on the mental health status of migrants. However, few studies have looked at the mental health of migrant women. This chapter is aimed to study this phenomenon, beginning with an examination of risks related to sexual and gender-based violence in the different steps of the migration process, and the psychological implications of the migratory process on Mediterranean African women in Europe. The migration and different forms of violence on women are associated with psychopathological manifestations such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, adaptation, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders. There is very limited knowledge on the lived experiences of migrant women and in future studies researchers should investigate the relationship between migration, gender, and mental health, in order to encourage the policies and prevention/treatment programmes for women and for psychosocial issues that may arise.

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Mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of Syrians affected by armed conflict

Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences ◽

10.1017/s2045796016000044 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 25 (2) ◽

pp. 129-141 ◽

Cited By ~ 129

Author(s):

G. Hassan ◽

P. Ventevogel ◽

H. Jefee-Bahloul ◽

A. Barkil-Oteo ◽

L. J. Kirmayer

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

United Nations ◽

Armed Conflict ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Psychosocial Support ◽

Gender Based Violence ◽

Cultural Aspects ◽

Psychosocial Wellbeing ◽

Wide Range ◽

The United Nations

Aims.This paper is based on a report commissioned by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which aims to provide information on cultural aspects of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing relevant to care and support for Syrians affected by the crisis. This paper aims to inform mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) staff of the mental health and psychosocial wellbeing issues facing Syrians who are internally displaced and Syrian refugees.Methods.We conducted a systematic literature search designed to capture clinical, social science and general literature examining the mental health of the Syrian population. The main medical, psychological and social sciences databases (e.g. Medline, PubMed, PsycInfo) were searched (until July 2015) in Arabic, English and French language sources. This search was supplemented with web-based searches in Arabic, English and French media, and in assessment reports and evaluations, by nongovernmental organisations, intergovernmental organisations and agencies of the United Nations. This search strategy should not be taken as a comprehensive review of all issues related to MHPSS of Syrians as some unpublished reports and evaluations were not reviewed.Results.Conflict affected Syrians may experience a wide range of mental health problems including (1) exacerbations of pre-existing mental disorders; (2) new problems caused by conflict related violence, displacement and multiple losses; as well as (3) issues related to adaptation to the post-emergency context, for example living conditions in the countries of refuge. Some populations are particularly vulnerable such as men and women survivors of sexual or gender based violence, children who have experienced violence and exploitation and Syrians who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex. Several factors influence access to MHPSS services including language barriers, stigma associated with seeking mental health care and the power dynamics of the helping relationship. Trust and collaboration can be maximised by ensuring a culturally safe environment, respectful of diversity and based on mutual respect, in which the perspectives of clients and their families can be carefully explored.Conclusions.Sociocultural knowledge and cultural competency can improve the design and delivery of interventions to promote mental health and psychosocial wellbeing of Syrians affected by armed conflict and displacement, both within Syria and in countries hosting refugees from Syria.

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