Social ecology of child soldiers: child, family, and community determinants of mental health, psychosocial well-being, and reintegration in Nepal

Brandon A Kohrt; Mark J D Jordans; Wietse A Tol; Em Perera; Rohit Karki; Suraj Koirala; Nawaraj Upadhaya

doi:10.1177/1363461510381290

Social ecology of child soldiers: child, family, and community determinants of mental health, psychosocial well-being, and reintegration in Nepal

Brandon A Kohrt, Mark J D Jordans, Wietse A Tol, Em Perera, Rohit Karki, Suraj Koirala, Nawaraj Upadhaya

Health Service & Population Research

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

93 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study employed a social ecology framework to evaluate psychosocial well-being in a cross-sectional sample of 142 former child soldiers in Nepal. Outcome measures included the Depression Self Rating Scale (DSRS), Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (CPSS), and locally developed measures of functional impairment and reintegration. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of factors at multiple levels. At the child level, traumatic exposures, especially torture, predicted poor outcomes, while education improved outcomes. At the family level, conflict-related death of a relative, physical abuse in the household, and loss of wealth during the conflict predicted poor outcomes. At the community level, living in high caste Hindu communities predicted lack of reintegration supports. Ultimately, social ecology is well suited to identify intervention foci across ecological levels based on community differences in vulnerability and protective factors.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	727-53
Number of pages	27
Journal	Transcultural Psychiatry
Volume	47
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/1363461510381290
Publication status	Published - Nov 2010

Keywords

Adolescent
Child
Depressive Disorder
Developing Countries
Family
Hinduism
Humans
Individuality
Life Change Events
Mental Disorders
Military Personnel
Nepal
Personality Assessment
Prognosis
Religion and Psychology
Residence Characteristics
Risk Factors
Social Environment
Social Support
Socialization
Socioeconomic Factors
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Torture

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1177/1363461510381290

Cite this

@article{1559769b72ce4f69ac9458895cea5c96,

title = "Social ecology of child soldiers: child, family, and community determinants of mental health, psychosocial well-being, and reintegration in Nepal",

abstract = "This study employed a social ecology framework to evaluate psychosocial well-being in a cross-sectional sample of 142 former child soldiers in Nepal. Outcome measures included the Depression Self Rating Scale (DSRS), Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (CPSS), and locally developed measures of functional impairment and reintegration. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of factors at multiple levels. At the child level, traumatic exposures, especially torture, predicted poor outcomes, while education improved outcomes. At the family level, conflict-related death of a relative, physical abuse in the household, and loss of wealth during the conflict predicted poor outcomes. At the community level, living in high caste Hindu communities predicted lack of reintegration supports. Ultimately, social ecology is well suited to identify intervention foci across ecological levels based on community differences in vulnerability and protective factors.",

keywords = "Adolescent, Child, Depressive Disorder, Developing Countries, Family, Hinduism, Humans, Individuality, Life Change Events, Mental Disorders, Military Personnel, Nepal, Personality Assessment, Prognosis, Religion and Psychology, Residence Characteristics, Risk Factors, Social Environment, Social Support, Socialization, Socioeconomic Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Torture",

author = "Kohrt, {Brandon A} and Jordans, {Mark J D} and Tol, {Wietse A} and Em Perera and Rohit Karki and Suraj Koirala and Nawaraj Upadhaya",

year = "2010",

month = nov,

doi = "10.1177/1363461510381290",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

pages = "727--53",

journal = "Transcultural Psychiatry",

issn = "1363-4615",

publisher = "SAGE Publications Ltd",

number = "5",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Social ecology of child soldiers

T2 - child, family, and community determinants of mental health, psychosocial well-being, and reintegration in Nepal

AU - Kohrt, Brandon A

AU - Jordans, Mark J D

AU - Tol, Wietse A

AU - Perera, Em

AU - Karki, Rohit

AU - Koirala, Suraj

AU - Upadhaya, Nawaraj

PY - 2010/11

Y1 - 2010/11

N2 - This study employed a social ecology framework to evaluate psychosocial well-being in a cross-sectional sample of 142 former child soldiers in Nepal. Outcome measures included the Depression Self Rating Scale (DSRS), Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (CPSS), and locally developed measures of functional impairment and reintegration. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of factors at multiple levels. At the child level, traumatic exposures, especially torture, predicted poor outcomes, while education improved outcomes. At the family level, conflict-related death of a relative, physical abuse in the household, and loss of wealth during the conflict predicted poor outcomes. At the community level, living in high caste Hindu communities predicted lack of reintegration supports. Ultimately, social ecology is well suited to identify intervention foci across ecological levels based on community differences in vulnerability and protective factors.

AB - This study employed a social ecology framework to evaluate psychosocial well-being in a cross-sectional sample of 142 former child soldiers in Nepal. Outcome measures included the Depression Self Rating Scale (DSRS), Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale (CPSS), and locally developed measures of functional impairment and reintegration. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of factors at multiple levels. At the child level, traumatic exposures, especially torture, predicted poor outcomes, while education improved outcomes. At the family level, conflict-related death of a relative, physical abuse in the household, and loss of wealth during the conflict predicted poor outcomes. At the community level, living in high caste Hindu communities predicted lack of reintegration supports. Ultimately, social ecology is well suited to identify intervention foci across ecological levels based on community differences in vulnerability and protective factors.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Child

KW - Depressive Disorder

KW - Developing Countries

KW - Family

KW - Hinduism

KW - Humans

KW - Individuality

KW - Life Change Events

KW - Mental Disorders

KW - Military Personnel

KW - Nepal

KW - Personality Assessment

KW - Prognosis

KW - Religion and Psychology

KW - Residence Characteristics

KW - Risk Factors

KW - Social Environment

KW - Social Support

KW - Socialization

KW - Socioeconomic Factors

KW - Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

KW - Torture

U2 - 10.1177/1363461510381290

DO - 10.1177/1363461510381290

M3 - Article

C2 - 21088102

SN - 1363-4615

VL - 47

SP - 727

EP - 753

JO - Transcultural Psychiatry

JF - Transcultural Psychiatry

IS - 5

ER -

Social ecology of child soldiers: child, family, and community determinants of mental health, psychosocial well-being, and reintegration in Nepal

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this