Sierra Leone's former child soldiers: a follow-up study of psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration.
نویسندگان
چکیده
This is the first prospective study to investigate psychosocial adjustment in male and female former child soldiers (ages 10-18; n = 156, 12% female). The study began in Sierra Leone in 2002 and was designed to examine both risk and protective factors in psychosocial adjustment. Over the 2-year period of follow-up, youth who had wounded or killed others during the war demonstrated increases in hostility. Youth who survived rape not only had higher levels of anxiety and hostility but also demonstrated greater confidence and prosocial attitudes at follow-up. Of the potential protective resources examined, improved community acceptance was associated with reduced depression at follow-up and improved confidence and prosocial attitudes regardless of levels of violence exposure. Retention in school was also associated with greater prosocial attitudes.
منابع مشابه
PSYCHOSOCIAL ADJUSTMENT AND SOCIAL REINTEGRATION OF CHILD EX-SOLDIERS IN SIERRA LEONE Wave II Follow-Up Analysis
Executive Summary: This report presents initial data from a follow-up study of youth who had been associated with the RUF rebel group in Sierra Leone and were subsequently part of the International Rescue Committee's (IRC) community reintegration program following formal disarmament and demobilization in the country. Also added to this wave of data collection was a new sample of ex-RUF youth fr...
متن کاملPast horrors, present struggles: the role of stigma in the association between war experiences and psychosocial adjustment among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone.
Upon returning to their communities, children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups--commonly referred to as child soldiers--often confront significant community stigma. Much research on the reintegration and rehabilitation of child soldiers has focused on exposure to past war-related violence and mental health outcomes, yet no empirical work has yet examined the role that post...
متن کاملA Longitudinal Study of Psychosocial Adjustment and Community Reintegration among Former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone.
متن کامل
Sierra Leone's former child soldiers: a longitudinal study of risk, protective factors, and mental health.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the longitudinal course of internalizing and externalizing problems and adaptive/prosocial behaviors among Sierra Leonean former child soldiers and whether postconflict factors contribute to adverse or resilient mental health outcomes. METHOD Male and female former child soldiers (N = 260, aged 10 to 17 years at baseline) were recruited from the roster of an non-gover...
متن کاملPost-traumatic stress symptoms among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone: follow-up study.
BACKGROUND Former child soldiers are at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, the trajectory of symptoms has yet to be examined. AIMS The risk and protective factors associated with PTSD symptom change among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone were investigated. METHOD Data from 243 former child soldiers (mean age 16.6 years, 30% female) were analysed. RESUL...
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عنوان ژورنال:
- Child development
دوره 81 4 شماره
صفحات -
تاریخ انتشار 2010