Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
ColumnIn ContextSupporting the Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being of Former Child Soldiers
Section snippets
The Effects on Children's Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being
Ascertaining the effects of children's participation in an armed group is difficult in part because of the lack of baseline information. In war-torn countries, most children have been affected in some way by the combination of armed conflict and chronic poverty. Effects that seem to owe to recruitment may in fact be due to other factors such as poverty, ongoing insecurity, or loss of homes, livelihoods, and loved ones. Furthermore, it is difficult to make generalizations about how former child
Implications for Practice
These observations yield three key points regarding how to support formerly recruited children. First, a one-size-fits-all approach is inappropriate because the needs, situation, and resources of formerly recruited children vary significantly.2 Attention needs to be given to children of various ages or levels of development and to the evolving capacities these children potentially bring to the process of reintegration.2 Also, reintegration programs ought to take account of the particular needs
References (9)
Child Soldiers Global Report
(2008)Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection
(2006)Child Soldiers in Africa
(2006)- et al.
Where are the Girls? Girls in Fighting Forces in Northern Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique: Their Lives During and After the War
(2004)
Cited by (0)
In Context is a venue for scholarly contributions from experts on scientific, social, political, and cultural issues pertinent to children's mental health. In Context presents topics that do not immediately fall under the purview of scientific research or clinical practice but that nevertheless affect the lives and mental health of children. Its goal is to educate clinicians and researchers, to encourage discussion, and to foster interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dr. Wessells is Professor of Clinical Population and Family Health in the Columbia University Program on Forced Migration and Health and has worked in many war zones for the past two decades developing and evaluating programs that support war-affected children, particularly former child soldiers. He is the author of Child Soldiers: From Violence to Protection.