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Mental Health Status of Returned Child Soldiers compared with Community Children in Nepal.

A TERM PAPER PRESENTATION. ON. Mental Health Status of Returned Child Soldiers compared with Community Children in Nepal. BY: SUJEN M. MAHARJAN. 2007. Introduction. Mental health. Mental wellbeing . Lack of a mental disorder. No official definition (WHO). Child soldiers .

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Mental Health Status of Returned Child Soldiers compared with Community Children in Nepal.

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  1. A TERM PAPER PRESENTATION ON Mental Health Status of Returned Child Soldiers compared with Community Children in Nepal. BY: SUJEN M. MAHARJAN. 2007

  2. Introduction Mental health Mental wellbeing Lack of a mental disorder No official definition (WHO) Child soldiers Soldiers + Spy/informer, messenger, porter, cook, fund collector, logistic supporter, artists in cultural groups SF Associated with armed groups/forces In Nepal PLA No epidemiological studies Community children <1% Annual Budget No Mental Health policy Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  3. Literature Review Sri Lanka • Tamil Tigers/ 1983 • Experience of various traumatic events • High PTSD, Depression, Somatisation (Somasundaram, 2002) Northern Uganda • Lord’s Liberation Army: • 90% army- children (abduction) • Cen- evil spirits • Depression + Anxiety (Akello et al.,2006) Mozambique • Renamo / 30 years of civil war • Longitudinal study: 1988-2004 19 male former child soldiers • High PTSD/npfuka (Boothby et al., 2004) Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  4. Objective To determine if child soldiers in Nepal have greater mental health problems than community children exposed to political violence who have not associated with armed groups. Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  5. Methodology Case Control Standard Psychological Instruments adapted for the Nepali context • Assessment of: • posttraumatic stress symptoms • depression symptoms • anxiety symptoms • other generalized psychosocial functioning Illam Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  6. Demographics Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  7. Findings and Results Figure General comparison of community children and returned child soldiers on psychosocial measures. Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  8. Control Case Control Case Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  9. Discussion • Both returned child soldiers and community children face different kinds of psychosocial problems like fear, anxiety, confusion, distrust, guilt, shyness, etc. due to the impact of armed conflict. • Thereis a significant variation from region to region. • Child soldiers display poorer mental health status with higher rates of depression, PTSD, anxiety, aggression, and poor daily functioning than community children. • Being female is a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Girls had significantly greater psychosocial distress than boys. • Children forced to become child soldiers had more psychosocial problems than children who reported to have joined voluntarily. • The exposure and experience of different kind of traumatic events and stressors placed child soldiers at long-term risk of psychological distress which might affect them even after a long period of time. Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  10. Conclusion • The research shows that child soldiers have poorer mental health status than community children. • The high prevalence of psychological distress among returned child soldiers compared with community children confirms that child soldiers are an at-risk group in need of intensive and focused services. • Although at a regional level, child soldiers may require more mental health services; it should not be assumed that at a national level all child soldiers have psychosocial problems equally. • Providing special mental health services for child soldiers is crucial and emergency in Nepal. However, attention also should be directed to vulnerability based on gender, ethnicity, economic status, and region of the country. • Mental health care can work toward peace-building and prevent further recruitment of children into armed groups. Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

  11. Acknowledgements THANK: • YOU • Tri-Chandra College • TPO (Transcultural Psychosocial Organization) Nepal Comments: smiling.sujen@gmail.com Mental Health Status of returned child soldiers compared with community children in Nepal.

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