265839 Trajectories of internalizing problems among war-affected youth in Sierra Leone: The role of risk and protective factors

Monday, October 29, 2012 : 8:45 AM - 9:00 AM

Theresa Betancourt, ScD, MA , FXB Center for Health and Human Rights; Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard University / Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA
Children and youth in crisis and humanitarian settings are at the top of the global mental health agenda due to the significant long-term implications of mental health issues for health systems, social environments and economic growth as children grow into adulthood (Patel, et al., 2007). The current study aimed to examine the longitudinal course of depression and anxiety symptoms among war-affected youth. Three waves of data from a prospective longitudinal study in Sierra Leone were used to examine internalizing trajectories in 529 war-affected youth (25% female; ages 10-17 at baseline). Latent class growth analyses identified four trajectories: a large majority of youth maintained lower levels of internalizing problems (41.4%) or significantly improved over time (47.6%) despite very limited access to care; but smaller proportions continued to report severe difficulties six years post-war (4.5%) or their symptoms worsened (6.4%). Continued internalizing problems were associated with loss of a caregiver during war, post-conflict family abuse and neglect, and perceptions of community stigma. Significant variability exists in the psychological responses of youth in post-conflict settings. The findings suggest that despite the comparative resilience of most war-affected youth in the face of extreme adversity, there remains a compelling need for interventions that address family- and community-level stressors. The presentation will also discuss the application of these findings to policy and programming for war-affected youth in diverse international settings.

Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the trajectories of internalizing problems among war-affected youth in Sierra Leone. Assess the risk and protective factors that characterize the longitudinal course of symptoms among war-affected youth.

Keywords: War, Child/Adolescent Mental Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the Principal Investigator of the Longitudinal Study of War-affected Youth, which is the focus of the proposed presentation.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.