Transcript Mental Health Status of Returned Child Soldiers

A TERM PAPER PRESENTATION
ON
Mental Health Status
of Returned Child Soldiers
compared with
Community Children in Nepal.
BY:
SUJEN M. MAHARJAN.
2007
Introduction
Mental wellbeing
Mental health
Lack of a mental disorder
No official definition (WHO)
Child soldiers
Soldiers +
SF
Associated with armed groups/forces
PLA
Spy/informer,
messenger,
porter,
cook,
fund collector,
logistic supporter,
artists in cultural groups
In Nepal
No epidemiological studies
Community children
<1% Annual Budget
No Mental Health policy
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Literature Review
Sri Lanka
Tamil Tigers/ 1983
Experience of various traumatic events
High PTSD, Depression, Somatisation
(Somasundaram, 2002)
Northern Uganda
Lord’s Liberation Army:
90% army- children (abduction)
Cen- evil spirits
Depression + Anxiety (Akello et al.,2006)
Mozambique
Renamo / 30 years of civil war
Longitudinal study: 1988-2004
19 male former child soldiers
High PTSD/npfuka (Boothby et al., 2004)
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Objective
To determine if child soldiers in Nepal have
greater mental health problems than community
children exposed to political violence who have not
associated with armed groups.
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Methodology
Standard Psychological Instruments adapted for the Nepali context
Assessment of:
posttraumatic stress symptoms
depression symptoms
anxiety symptoms
other generalized psychosocial functioning
Case
Control
Illam
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Demographics
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Findings and Results
Figure
General comparison of community children and returned child soldiers
on psychosocial measures.
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Control
Case
Control
Case
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Discussion
Both returned child soldiers and community children face different kinds of
psychosocial problems like fear, anxiety, confusion, distrust, guilt, shyness,
etc. due to the impact of armed conflict.
There is a significant variation from region to region.
Child soldiers display poorer mental health status with higher rates of
depression, PTSD, anxiety, aggression, and poor daily functioning than
community children.
Being female is a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Girls had
significantly greater psychosocial distress than boys.
Children forced to become child soldiers had more psychosocial
problems than children who reported to have joined voluntarily.
The exposure and experience of different kind of traumatic events and
stressors placed child soldiers at long-term risk of psychological distress
which might affect them even after a long period of time.
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Conclusion
The research shows that child soldiers have poorer mental health status than
community children.
The high prevalence of psychological distress among returned child
soldiers compared with community children confirms that child soldiers are an atrisk group in need of intensive and focused services.
Although at a regional level, child soldiers may require more mental health
services; it should not be assumed that at a national level all child
soldiers have psychosocial problems equally.
Providing special mental health services for child soldiers is crucial and
emergency in Nepal. However, attention also should be directed to vulnerability
based on gender, ethnicity, economic status, and region of the country.
Mental health care can work toward peace-building and prevent further
recruitment of children into armed groups.
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.
Acknowledgements
THANK:
YOU
Tri-Chandra College
TPO (Transcultural Psychosocial Organization) Nepal
Comments:
[email protected]
Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.