Dealing with the consequences of war: resources of formerly recruited and non-recruited youth in northern Uganda.

Journal: The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine

Volume: 55

Issue: 1

Year of Publication: 2015

Affiliated Institutions:  Department of Special Education/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Sofie.Vindevogel@UGent.be. Program on Forced Migration and Health, Department of Clinical Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, New York. Department of Experimental, Clinical, and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Department of Special Education/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Department of Social Welfare Studies/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

Abstract summary 

This article explores resources that help formerly recruited young people in dealing with war-related adversity and subsequent challenges, hence fostering their resilience.Self-reports on pertinent resources were collected from 1,008 northern Ugandan youth, of whom 330 had formerly been recruited by the Lord's Resistance Army. Based on the conceptual framework developed by the Psychosocial Working Group, the reported resources were thematically clustered and quantitatively analyzed.This study identified a range of human, social, and cultural resources, with little difference between groups. Religious beliefs, social support, and mental health resources were most frequently reported by former child soldiers.These results reveal a multitude of resources and suggest that it is important to build on these resources in interventions that aim to support former child soldiers in the aftermath of armed conflict.

Authors & Co-authors:  Vindevogel Sofie S Wessells Michael M De Schryver Maarten M Broekaert Eric E Derluyn Ilse I

Study Outcome 

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Citations : 
Authors :  5
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.11.023
SSN : 1879-1972
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Adaptation, Psychological
Other Terms
Child soldiers;Coping;Resilience;Resources;War-affected youth
Study Design
Cross Sectional Study
Study Approach
Quantitative
Country of Study
Uganda
Publication Country
United States