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Theresa S Betancourt - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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classifying Childhood war trauma exposure latent profile analyses of sierra leone s former Child Soldiers
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2020Co-Authors: Rochelle L Frounfelker, Alethea Desrosiers, Robert T Brennan, Jordan Farrar, Theresa S BetancourtAbstract:Background Former Child Soldiers are at elevated risk for mental health problems (e.g., traumatic stress, emotion dysregulation, and internalizing and externalizing problems). To examine which groups of former Child Soldiers are more likely to have difficulties with emotion regulation, interpersonal relationships, and mental health postconflict, we explored patterns of war trauma exposure and their effects on subsequent mental health problems among former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone. Methods Participants were 415 (23.86% female) Sierra Leonean former Child Soldiers participating in a 15-year, four-wave longitudinal study. At T1 (2002), 282 former Child Soldiers (aged 10-17) were recruited. T2 (2004) included 186 participants from T1 and an additional cohort of self-reintegrated former Child Soldiers (NT2 = 132). T3 (2008) and T4 (2016/2017) participants were youth enrolled in previous waves (NT3 = 315; NT4 = 364). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to classify participants based on the first-time reports of eight forms of war exposure (separation and loss of assets, parental loss, loss of loved ones, witnessing violence, victimization, perpetrating violence, noncombat activities, and deprivation). ANOVA examined whether patterns of war exposure were associated with sociodemographic characteristics and mental health outcomes between T1 and T4. Results LPA identified two profiles: higher exposure versus lower exposure, using cumulative scores of eight forms of war-related trauma exposure. The 'higher war exposure' group comprised 226 (54.5%) former Child Soldiers and the 'lower war exposure' group included 189 (45.5%). Significantly higher levels of violence-related and combat experiences characterized the group exposed to more traumatic events. The 'higher war exposure' group reported more PTSD symptoms at T2, more hyperarousal symptoms across all waves, and more difficulties in emotion regulation at T4. Conclusions Former Child Soldiers exposed to higher levels of war-related traumatic events and loss should be prioritized for mental health services immediately postconflict and as they transition into adulthood.
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post traumatic stress symptoms among former Child Soldiers in sierra leone follow up study
British Journal of Psychiatry, 2013Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Elizabeth A Newnham, Ryan Mcbain, Robert T BrennanAbstract: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. Results Self-reported rates of possible PTSD using standard cut-off points declined from 32% to 16% 4 years later ( P <0.05). Symptoms of PTSD at baseline were significantly associated with war experiences ( P <0.01) and post-conflict family abuse ( P <0.001). Reliable improvement in symptoms was reported by 30%. In growth models examining symptom change, worsening of symptoms was associated with death of a parent ( P <0.05) and post-conflict stigma ( P <0.001). Protective effects were observed for increases in family acceptance ( P <0.001). Conclusions The findings indicated improvement in PTSD symptoms among former Child Soldiers despite limited access to care. Family and community support played a vital part in promoting psychological adjustment.
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sierra leone s Child Soldiers war exposures and mental health problems by gender
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2011Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Ivelina Borisova, Marie De La Soudiere, John D WilliamsonAbstract:Abstract Purpose To examine associations between war experiences, mental health, and gender in a sample of male and female Sierra Leonean former Child Soldiers. Methods A total of 273 former Child Soldiers (29% females) were assessed for depression and anxiety by using the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist, and for hostility, confidence, and prosocial attitudes by using an instrument developed for use with Sierra Leonean Child Soldiers. Results The former Child Soldiers had witnessed and perpetrated violence at largely comparable rates, although females experienced higher rates of rape ( p p = .008) and anxiety ( p p p p p p p p p p Conclusions In our sample, female and male Child Soldiers experienced comparable levels of most war exposures. Female Soldiers reported higher rates of rape and lower levels of adaptive outcomes. Toxic forms of violence (killing or injuring; rape) were associated with particularly poor outcomes. Although all boys and girls who experience rape and loss of caregivers are generally at risk for mental health problems, boys in our sample demonstrated increased vulnerability; these findings indicate a need for more inclusive mental health services.
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high hopes grim reality reintegration and the education of former Child Soldiers in sierra leone
Comparative Education Review, 2008Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Ivelina Borisova, Stephanie Simmons, Stephanie Erin Brewer, Uzo Iweala, Marie De La SoudiereAbstract:Civil war broke out in Sierra Leone in 1991 and lasted more than a decade. During the conflict, both the national army and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a rebel group responsible for some of the worst atrocities during the conflict, abducted Children from the villages they attacked and occupied. An estimated 15,000–22,000 Children of all ages were taken from their families and forced to serve the military groups in a number of ways, from performing domestic chores and other military support roles to committing acts of violence (McKay and Mazurana 2004). Many were sexually abused and forced to use alcohol and drugs. At the end of the conflict, short-term disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs targeting Children formerly associated with fighting and armed groups attempted to prepare Children to return to their homes. In the medium to long term, however, true reintegration depends on former Child Soldiers having access to educational and training opportunities that will support them to achieve greater self-sufficiency and increased productivity within their communities. A number of studies have explored aspects of education relating to the reintegration of former Child Soldiers into their communities (Verhey 2001; Annan et al. 2006; Wessells 2006a). In particular, researchers have shown the negative effects of Child soldiering on the educational and economic outcomes of former Child Soldiers. A few studies have discussed the relative benefits of education for war-affected youth during the postconflict phase (Santacruz and Arana 2002; Annan et al. 2006; Wessells 2006a). In Sierra Leone, available research focuses on the DDR process (Humphreys and Weinstein 2004, 2007) and has explored the relationship between DDR program participation and outcomes such as income-earning capacity, confidence in the democratic process, and acceptance within a sample of mainly adults (mean age of 31 years). Although the large survey sample included some youth as young as 14, educational opportunities and issues facing Children and adolescents were not specifically examined. The complexity of providing education to former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone and the potential challenges that may be associated with their return to school remain unexplored in the research. This study aims to fill this gap and presents the perspectives of former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone, their caregivers, and community members speaking to the role of education in their psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration following the end of the civil war. In this article we first examine the state of the Sierra Leonean educational system before and after the war and its role in the reintegration of former Child Soldiers. Next, we present the perspectives of former Child Soldiers, their caregivers, and community members on the role of education in reintegrating former Child Soldiers into society. We also examine the barriers they described in accessing educational and other training opportunities and in achieving their future goals.
Robert T Brennan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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classifying Childhood war trauma exposure latent profile analyses of sierra leone s former Child Soldiers
Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 2020Co-Authors: Rochelle L Frounfelker, Alethea Desrosiers, Robert T Brennan, Jordan Farrar, Theresa S BetancourtAbstract:Background Former Child Soldiers are at elevated risk for mental health problems (e.g., traumatic stress, emotion dysregulation, and internalizing and externalizing problems). To examine which groups of former Child Soldiers are more likely to have difficulties with emotion regulation, interpersonal relationships, and mental health postconflict, we explored patterns of war trauma exposure and their effects on subsequent mental health problems among former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone. Methods Participants were 415 (23.86% female) Sierra Leonean former Child Soldiers participating in a 15-year, four-wave longitudinal study. At T1 (2002), 282 former Child Soldiers (aged 10-17) were recruited. T2 (2004) included 186 participants from T1 and an additional cohort of self-reintegrated former Child Soldiers (NT2 = 132). T3 (2008) and T4 (2016/2017) participants were youth enrolled in previous waves (NT3 = 315; NT4 = 364). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to classify participants based on the first-time reports of eight forms of war exposure (separation and loss of assets, parental loss, loss of loved ones, witnessing violence, victimization, perpetrating violence, noncombat activities, and deprivation). ANOVA examined whether patterns of war exposure were associated with sociodemographic characteristics and mental health outcomes between T1 and T4. Results LPA identified two profiles: higher exposure versus lower exposure, using cumulative scores of eight forms of war-related trauma exposure. The 'higher war exposure' group comprised 226 (54.5%) former Child Soldiers and the 'lower war exposure' group included 189 (45.5%). Significantly higher levels of violence-related and combat experiences characterized the group exposed to more traumatic events. The 'higher war exposure' group reported more PTSD symptoms at T2, more hyperarousal symptoms across all waves, and more difficulties in emotion regulation at T4. Conclusions Former Child Soldiers exposed to higher levels of war-related traumatic events and loss should be prioritized for mental health services immediately postconflict and as they transition into adulthood.
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post traumatic stress symptoms among former Child Soldiers in sierra leone follow up study
British Journal of Psychiatry, 2013Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Elizabeth A Newnham, Ryan Mcbain, Robert T BrennanAbstract: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. Results Self-reported rates of possible PTSD using standard cut-off points declined from 32% to 16% 4 years later ( P <0.05). Symptoms of PTSD at baseline were significantly associated with war experiences ( P <0.01) and post-conflict family abuse ( P <0.001). Reliable improvement in symptoms was reported by 30%. In growth models examining symptom change, worsening of symptoms was associated with death of a parent ( P <0.05) and post-conflict stigma ( P <0.001). Protective effects were observed for increases in family acceptance ( P <0.001). Conclusions The findings indicated improvement in PTSD symptoms among former Child Soldiers despite limited access to care. Family and community support played a vital part in promoting psychological adjustment.
Myriam Denov - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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editorial when Child Soldiers grow up a longitudinal analysis of postwar adult mental health and social functioning
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2020Co-Authors: Myriam DenovAbstract:In 2017, approximately 420 million Children-nearly one in five-were living in conflict-affected areas, an increase of 30 million from the previous year.1 In contexts of war, Children are killed, injured, orphaned, separated from family, and sexually assaulted. Vast numbers of boys and girls are also recruited into armed groups as Child Soldiers. Exposed to brutal forms of violence as witnesses, victims, and participants - most often simultaneously - Child Soldiers take on a multiplicity of roles as fighters, porters, messengers, spies, caregivers to younger Children, domestic workers, and are frequently sexually exploited. Exposure to war is a known risk factor for long-term mental health problems and psychosocial distress,2 with Child Soldiers reporting higher levels of anxiety, posttraumatic stress, depressive, and somatic symptoms than control groups.3 Yet research has also demonstrated the resilience of former Child Soldiers and their ability to cope well despite wartime adversity and individual, familial, and structural stressors.4 The post-war context has an important influence on the social functioning and mental health outcomes of Child Soldiers,5 with community and family stigma being identified as significant barriers to acceptance, belonging, and well-being.6,7 This growing body of research has helped to uncover and illuminate the immediate and short-term effects of war on former Child Soldiers. However, knowledge of the long-term effects remains poorly understood. The study by Betancourt et al.8 provides insight into the long-term adult mental health and social functioning of former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone. The study offers nuance regarding why some former Child Soldiers may, over time, fare better than others. Betancourt et al.8 show that adult mental health and social functioning in Sierra Leone's former Child Soldiers were related to (1) wartime experiences, and (2) post-conflict risk and protective factors. Although previous literature has demonstrated this when considering the lives of former Child Soldiers over the short-term, this study reaffirms these realities over the long term.
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Child Soldiers and iconography portrayals and mis representations
Children & Society, 2012Co-Authors: Myriam DenovAbstract:Over the past decade, Child Soldiers have inundated the popular media. Images of boys armed with AK47s appear ubiquitous, providing a cautionary tale of innocent Childhood gone awry. While these representations turn commonly held assumptions of a protected and innocuous Childhood on its head, what they conceal is as provocative as what they reveal. Popular news media tells us little about the Children behind the guns or the complexity of their wartime and post-war experiences. Attempting to move beyond the narrow depictions, this paper explores the realities of a cohort of Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone and their experiences of armed conflict. Drawing upon in-depth interviews conducted over a two-year period, Children’s experiences defy the limiting portrayals offered by media discourse. While these Children are frequently constructed through a framework of extremes (as either extreme victims, extreme perpetrators or extreme heroes), in reality, the lives of these Children fall within the grey, ambiguous and paradoxical zones of each.
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Child Soldiers: Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front - Child Soldiers: Sierra Leone's Revolutionary United Front
2010Co-Authors: Myriam DenovAbstract:Introduction: Child Soldiers, iconography and the (il)logic of extremes 1. Children's involvement in war: the quandary of structure and agency 2. Recipe for rebellion: civil war in Sierra Leone 3. Negotiating power: research on and by Child Soldiers 4. 'Becoming RUF': the making of a Child soldier 5. 'Being RUF': victimization, participation and resistance 6. 'Put dey gon don': the unmaking of a Child soldier 7. New battlefields.
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Child Soldiers sierra leone s revolutionary united front
2010Co-Authors: Myriam DenovAbstract:Introduction: Child Soldiers, iconography and the (il)logic of extremes 1. Children's involvement in war: the quandary of structure and agency 2. Recipe for rebellion: civil war in Sierra Leone 3. Negotiating power: research on and by Child Soldiers 4. 'Becoming RUF': the making of a Child soldier 5. 'Being RUF': victimization, participation and resistance 6. 'Put dey gon don': the unmaking of a Child soldier 7. New battlefields.
Hubertus Adam - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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multiple trauma and mental health in former ugandan Child Soldiers
Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2010Co-Authors: Fionna Klasen, Gabriele Oettingen, Judith K Daniels, Hubertus AdamAbstract:The present study examines the effect of war and domestic violence on the mental health of Child Soldiers in a sample consisting of 330 former Ugandan Child Soldiers (age: 11–17 years, female: 49%). All Children had experienced at least 1 war-related event and 78% were additionally exposed to at least 1 incident of domestic violence. Prevalences of posttraumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder were 33%, and 36%, respectively. Behavioral and emotional problems above clinical cutoff were measured in 61%. No gender differences were found regarding mental health outcomes. War experience and domestic violence were significantly associated with all mental health outcomes. The authors’ findings point to the detrimental effects of domestic violence in addition to traumatizing war experiences in Child Soldiers. Currently, 250,000 Children are serving as Child Soldiers in armed conflicts around the globe, forced to witness and often also to commit atrocities, including rape and murder (Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, 2006). According to the Paris Principles, the term Child soldier refers to any person below 18 years of age who is or has been associated with an armed force or armed group (United
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posttraumatic resilience in former ugandan Child Soldiers
Child Development, 2010Co-Authors: Fionna Klasen, Gabriele Oettingen, Judith K Daniels, Manuela Post, Catrin Hoyer, Hubertus AdamAbstract:The present research examines posttraumatic resilience in extremely exposed Children and adolescents based on interviews with 330 former Ugandan Child Soldiers (age = 11-17, female = 48.5%). Despite severe trauma exposure, 27.6% showed posttraumatic resilience as indicated by the absence of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and clinically significant behavioral and emotional problems. Among these former Child Soldiers, posttraumatic resilience was associated with lower exposure to domestic violence, lower guilt cognitions, less motivation to seek revenge, better socioeconomic situation in the family, and more perceived spiritual support. Among the youth with significant psychopathology, many of them had symptoms extending beyond the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, in keeping with the emerging concept of developmental trauma disorder. Implications for future research, intervention, and policy are discussed.
Marie De La Soudiere - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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sierra leone s Child Soldiers war exposures and mental health problems by gender
Journal of Adolescent Health, 2011Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Ivelina Borisova, Marie De La Soudiere, John D WilliamsonAbstract:Abstract Purpose To examine associations between war experiences, mental health, and gender in a sample of male and female Sierra Leonean former Child Soldiers. Methods A total of 273 former Child Soldiers (29% females) were assessed for depression and anxiety by using the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist, and for hostility, confidence, and prosocial attitudes by using an instrument developed for use with Sierra Leonean Child Soldiers. Results The former Child Soldiers had witnessed and perpetrated violence at largely comparable rates, although females experienced higher rates of rape ( p p = .008) and anxiety ( p p p p p p p p p p Conclusions In our sample, female and male Child Soldiers experienced comparable levels of most war exposures. Female Soldiers reported higher rates of rape and lower levels of adaptive outcomes. Toxic forms of violence (killing or injuring; rape) were associated with particularly poor outcomes. Although all boys and girls who experience rape and loss of caregivers are generally at risk for mental health problems, boys in our sample demonstrated increased vulnerability; these findings indicate a need for more inclusive mental health services.
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high hopes grim reality reintegration and the education of former Child Soldiers in sierra leone
Comparative Education Review, 2008Co-Authors: Theresa S Betancourt, Ivelina Borisova, Stephanie Simmons, Stephanie Erin Brewer, Uzo Iweala, Marie De La SoudiereAbstract:Civil war broke out in Sierra Leone in 1991 and lasted more than a decade. During the conflict, both the national army and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), a rebel group responsible for some of the worst atrocities during the conflict, abducted Children from the villages they attacked and occupied. An estimated 15,000–22,000 Children of all ages were taken from their families and forced to serve the military groups in a number of ways, from performing domestic chores and other military support roles to committing acts of violence (McKay and Mazurana 2004). Many were sexually abused and forced to use alcohol and drugs. At the end of the conflict, short-term disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programs targeting Children formerly associated with fighting and armed groups attempted to prepare Children to return to their homes. In the medium to long term, however, true reintegration depends on former Child Soldiers having access to educational and training opportunities that will support them to achieve greater self-sufficiency and increased productivity within their communities. A number of studies have explored aspects of education relating to the reintegration of former Child Soldiers into their communities (Verhey 2001; Annan et al. 2006; Wessells 2006a). In particular, researchers have shown the negative effects of Child soldiering on the educational and economic outcomes of former Child Soldiers. A few studies have discussed the relative benefits of education for war-affected youth during the postconflict phase (Santacruz and Arana 2002; Annan et al. 2006; Wessells 2006a). In Sierra Leone, available research focuses on the DDR process (Humphreys and Weinstein 2004, 2007) and has explored the relationship between DDR program participation and outcomes such as income-earning capacity, confidence in the democratic process, and acceptance within a sample of mainly adults (mean age of 31 years). Although the large survey sample included some youth as young as 14, educational opportunities and issues facing Children and adolescents were not specifically examined. The complexity of providing education to former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone and the potential challenges that may be associated with their return to school remain unexplored in the research. This study aims to fill this gap and presents the perspectives of former Child Soldiers in Sierra Leone, their caregivers, and community members speaking to the role of education in their psychosocial adjustment and community reintegration following the end of the civil war. In this article we first examine the state of the Sierra Leonean educational system before and after the war and its role in the reintegration of former Child Soldiers. Next, we present the perspectives of former Child Soldiers, their caregivers, and community members on the role of education in reintegrating former Child Soldiers into society. We also examine the barriers they described in accessing educational and other training opportunities and in achieving their future goals.