A Qualitative Study of Mental Health Problems among Children Displaced by War in Northern Uganda

Dados Bibliográficos

ID2394715
AutoresTheresa Stichick Betancourt (Harvard School of Public Health), Theresa Betancourt (0000-0002-3683-4440, Physicians for Human Rights, autor correspondente), Liesbeth Speelman (War Child Holland, autor correspondente), Grace Onyango (World Vision Uganda,, autor correspondente), Paul Bolton (0000-0001-7162-7896, Center for Refugee and Disaster Response, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, autor correspondente)
Ano2009
Volume46
Fascículo2
Páginas238-256
Data de publicação2009-06-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoTranscultural Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1363-4615 • E-ISSN: 1461-7471
EditoraSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/1363461509105815
PMID19541749
PMCIDPMC2775515
OpenAlexW1993190475
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas68
Referências citadas19

While multiple studies have found that children affected by war are at increased risk for a range of mental health problems, little research has investigated how mental health problems are perceived locally. In this study we used a previously developed rapid ethnographic assessment method to explore local perceptions of mental health problems among children and adults from the Acholi ethnic group displaced by the war in northern Uganda. We conducted 45 free list interviews and 57 key informant interviews. The rapid assessment approach appears to have worked well for interviewing caretakers and children aged 10-17 years. We describe several locally defined syndromes: two tam/par/kumu (depression and dysthymia-like syndromes), ma lwor (a mixed anxiety and depression-like syndrome), and a category of conduct problems referred to as kwo maraco/gin lugero. The descriptions of these local syndromes were similar to western mood, anxiety and conduct disorders, but included culturespecific elements

Anxiety · Ethnic group · Interview · Mental health · Mood · Psychiatry · Qualitative research · Sociology · Clinical Psychology · Health and Conflict Studies · Migration, Health and Trauma · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare · Psychology