scholarly journals PTSD as a consequence of past conflict experience, recent exposure to violence and economic marginalization in post-conflict contexts: A study from Nepal, Guatemala and Northern Ireland

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 488-495
Author(s):  
Arne H Eide ◽  
Karin Dyrstad
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Negative Events ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Economic Marginalization ◽  
Current Risk

Background: Exposure to war and conflict increases the risk of mental health problems. Poor living conditions are known to negatively impact mental health. Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that exposure to negative events after armed conflict interacts with past negative experiences, socioeconomic factors and current mental health problems. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out in three contexts of previous internal armed conflict: Nepal, Guatemala and Northern Ireland. Three nationally representative samples were drawn, comprising a net sample of 3,229 respondents. Results: Both recent negative events and past negative events linked to the previous conflicts were found to be associated with elevated risk of post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD). Economic marginalization and urban residency also contributed to current risk of PTSD. Conclusions: The results support the study hypothesis that both past and recent negative events in combination with economic marginalization contribute to explain current risk of PTSD. It is necessary both to improve living conditions more broadly and to establish and develop health services that have the capacity to screen, prevent and treat mental health problems also in poor contexts, in particular against a background of previous armed conflict.

scholarly journals Mental health of women and children experiencing family violence in conflict settings: a mixed methods systematic review

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Delan Devakumar ◽  
Alexis Palfreyman ◽  
Amaran Uthayakumar-Cumarasamy ◽  
Nazifa Ullah ◽  
Chavini Ranasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Family Violence ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Qualitative Studies ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Conflict Settings

Abstract Background Armed conflict has significant impacts on individuals and families living in conflict-affected settings globally. Scholars working to prevent violence within families have hypothesised that experiencing armed conflict leads to an increase in family violence and mental health problems. In this review, we assessed the prevalence of family violence in conflict settings, its association with the mental health of survivors, moderating factors, and the importance of gender relations. Methods Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed quantitative and qualitative studies that assessed the prevalence of family violence and the association between family violence and mental health problems, within conflict settings (PROSPERO reference CRD42018114443). Results We identified 2605 records, from which 174 full text articles were screened. Twenty-nine studies that reported family violence during or up to 10 years after conflict were eligible for inclusion. Twenty one studies were quantitative, measuring prevalence and association between family violence and mental health problems. The studies were generally of high quality and all reported high prevalence of violence. The prevalence of violence against women was mostly in the range of 30–40%, the highest reported prevalence of physical abuse being 78.9% in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For violence against children, over three-quarters had ever experienced violence, the highest prevalence being 95.6% in Sri Lanka. Associations were found with a number of mental health problems, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder. The risk varied in different locations. Eight qualitative studies showed how men’s experience of conflict, including financial stresses, contributes to their perpetration of family violence. Conclusions Family violence was common in conflict settings and was associated with mental health outcomes, but the studies were too heterogenous to determine whether prevalence or risk was greater than in non-conflict settings. The review highlights an urgent need for more robust data on perpetrators, forms of family violence, and mental health outcomes in conflict-affected settings in order to help understand the magnitude of the problem and identify potential solutions to address it.

The Making of an Outsider: Growing Up in Poverty in Northern Ireland

2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Goretti Horgan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Young People ◽  
Social Exclusion ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Growing Up ◽  
Disadvantaged Community ◽  
The Past

The young people who are the focus of this article grow up in communities ravaged by poverty and conflict. School is where they spend most of their time, but their experience of school is, generally, not motivating and increases their feelings of social exclusion; almost one in ten young people whose family depends on benefits leaves school with no educational qualifications and the future they see is bleak. Small wonder, then, that so many suffer from emotional and mental health problems and engage in self-harming behavior. This article will use qualitative data from two studies carried out over the past 5 years to explore the experiences of young people growing up in poverty in Northern Ireland and look at the extent of their exclusion from the norms of society. It will argue that this exclusion is such that some of them feel “outsiders” even within their own, disadvantaged, community, and this is dangerous in a society which is still emerging from conflict.

Trauma Exposure and Domestic Violence Offending Severity in a Probation Sample From Post-conflict Northern Ireland

2020 ◽  
pp. 088626052092235
Author(s):  
Áine Travers ◽  
Tracey McDonagh ◽  
Twylla Cunningham ◽  
Madeleine Dalsklev ◽  
Cherie Armour ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Domestic Violence ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Northern Ireland ◽  
Childhood Maltreatment ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Post Conflict ◽  
Conflict Settings ◽  
Violence Perpetration

Domestic violence is more common in post-conflict settings such as Northern Ireland. However, the extent to which trauma and related mental health problems are associated with domestic violence perpetration in the region has not yet been quantitatively assessed. The present study examines relationships between multiple traumas, mental health problems, and five indicators of domestic violence perpetration severity (causing injury, use of a weapon, breach of nonmolestation order, sexual violence, and previous police involvement). The unique risk associated with distinct types of trauma (i.e., childhood maltreatment or conflict related) was also investigated. Perpetrators’ case file data ( n = 405) were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression. The rates of recorded trauma exposure and mental health difficulties were 72.3% and 63.5%, respectively. The first logistic regression analyses showed that exposure to multiple traumas was associated with increased likelihood of perpetrating injurious and sexual violence, when controlling for the covariates (odds ratios [ORs] = 1.24–1.28). The second logistic regression analyses showed that childhood maltreatment was the only trauma type to confer unique risk, a relationship that was significant only for the outcome of perpetrating injurious violence (OR = 3.06). Substance misuse was also significantly associated with perpetration of injurious violence, use of weapons, and having past police involvement (ORs = 2.49–3.50). The accumulation of traumatic experiences and substance abuse appear to act as risk factors for some indicators of offending severity. Childhood maltreatment appears to confer particularly strong risk. The findings may support a focus on trauma and substance abuse as intervention targets in post-conflict settings.

scholarly journals Mental health problems, family functioning and social support among children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72
Author(s):  
Milgen Sánchez-Villegas ◽  
Lizeth Reyes-Ruiz ◽  
Laura K. Taylor ◽  
Natalia Andrea Pérez-Ruíz ◽  
Farid Alejandro Carmona-Alvarado
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Behavioral Problems ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Emotional Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Armed Conflicts ◽  
Emotional And Behavioral Problems ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Colombia presents with one of the largest armed conflicts in the world. Children exposed directly or indirectly to armed conflicts live the emotional footprints left by war. This paper aims to identify mental health problems among children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict and associated factors. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional study with (n = 80) children aged 7 to 11 years (M = 9.8 years; SD = 1.4) was conducted using the Child Behavior Checklist, Family APGAR and MOS social support survey adaptation to children. Linear regression analyses were also performed with emotional and behavioral problems as the outcomes and related factors as the predictors. Findings Clinical levels of emotional and behavioral problems were found in 56.3% of children. Internalizing problems (63.7%) were more common than externalizing problems (51.2%). Older children had greater emotional problems at the trend level, and those with higher functioning families had lower emotional problems. Children with higher perceived social support had lower behavior problems at the trend level. Research limitations/implications This study includes a sample facing multiple risks and uses a holistic approach to consider family and social resources that may support children who are survivors of the armed conflict in Colombia. These results provide a foundation for future promotion and prevention programs related to children’s mental health problems to support peacebuilding within the framework of the Colombian post-conflict process. Originality/value To the best of authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to collect empirical data on the mental health of children survivors of Colombia’s armed conflict focused in the Atlantic Department.

Mental health problems among children in Sierra Leone: Assessing cultural concepts of distress

2020 ◽  
pp. 136346152091669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elyse J Thulin ◽  
Kristen E McLean ◽  
Stephen Sevalie ◽  
Adeyinka M Akinsulure-Smith ◽  
Theresa S Betancourt
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Risk Factors ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Sierra Leone ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Social Environments ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Cultural Concepts ◽  
Post Conflict

Globally, over 13% of children and adolescents are affected by mental disorders, yet relatively little scholarship addresses how risk factors, symptoms, and nosology vary by culture and context, especially in young children living in post-conflict and low-resource settings. To address this gap, we conducted a qualitative study to identify and describe the most salient mental health problems facing children aged 6 to 10 years in Sierra Leone, as well as the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to these problems. Free list interviews ( N = 200) and semi-structured interviews ( N = 66) were conducted among caregivers, children, and other relevant key informants to explore risk factors and locally meaningful concepts of distress. Our findings indicate that children are faced with a variety of challenges in their social environments that contribute to distress, including hunger, unmet material needs, and excessive work. Our research identifies five contextually defined mental health problems faced by young children: gbos gbos (angry, destructive behavior), poil at (sad, disruptive behavior), diskoraj (sad, withdrawn), wondri (excessive worry), and fred fred (abnormal fear). The manifestations of these distress concepts are described in detail and contextualized according to Sierra Leone’s history of war and current backdrop of poverty and insecurity. Implications are discussed for locally relevant diagnosis and treatment as well as for the wider literature on global child mental health.

scholarly journals Undocumented migrants in the Netherlands: adverse life events, living conditions and mental health

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandrine JC Vollebregt ◽  
Willem F Scholte ◽  
Annette Hoogerbrugge ◽  
Koen Bolhuis ◽  
Jentien Vermeulen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Life Events ◽  
Access To Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Problems ◽  
Living Conditions ◽  
Undocumented Migrants ◽  
Adverse Life Events ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Reporting Questionnaire

Background: Undocumented migrants have worse health and living conditions and poor access to health care.Aims and objectives: To examine the prevalence and determinants of mental health problems in undocumented migrants.Design: Observational study, integrating cross-sectional questionnaire data with retrospective electronic patient record data.Methods: Undocumented migrants attending medical and psychological consultation hours of a Netherlands-based non-governmental organization, completed the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ). We examined scores of the instrument's 24 items version (SRQ-24) and its 20 items version (SRQ-20). Correlations with determinants were estimated using parametric tests.Results: On the SRQ-20, 85% of the sample (N=101) scored ≥8, the clinical cut-off value; mean=12.4 ± 4.6, range 0-20. Adverse life events like physical and sexual assault were reported in 37% of the medical records (N=99) and had a medium to large effect (Cohen's d=0.76) on SRQ-24 scores.Discussion: Mental health problems are common in undocumented migrants. Adverse life-events are critical determinants.

scholarly journals Child soldiers exposed to more violence and combat are at greater risk of mental health problems

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Armed Conflict ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Child Soldiers ◽  
Health Problems

Sadly, the involvement of children in armed conflict is increasing,1 and leads to a higher risk of developing mental health problems.

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