Alcohol and substance use in humanitarian and post-conflict situations

Abstract

Consommation d'alcool et de substances psychoactives dans les situations de crise humanitaire et après un conflitRÉSUMÉ Un grand nombre de problèmes liés à la consommation de substances psychoactives sont prévalents dans différentes situations de crise humanitaire. Les directives du Comité permanent interorganisations (CPI) en matière de santé mentale et de soutien psychosocial en situations d'urgence mettent en évidence l'association de la consommation de substances psychoactives en situation de crise humanitaire et après un conflit avec des problèmes incluant la violence à l'encontre des femmes, le crime organisé et des actes de négligence grave envers les enfants. Si la consommation de substances psychoactives constitue un problème de santé publique dans les situations de crise humanitaire, elle a toujours été un domaine négligé de la santé publique, avec des données très limitées sur la question, que ce soit dans la documentation publiée ou dans la littérature grise. La présente étude offre un aperçu du problème et des outils d'évaluation et d'intervention existants pour s'attaquer à l'utilisation de substances psychoactives dans les situations de conflit et d'après-conflit.ABSTRACT A wide range of substance use problems are prevalent in a variety of humanitarian settings. The Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on mental health and psychosocial support during emergencies highlights that during humanitarian and post conflict situations, substance use is associated with problems including gender-based violence, organized crime and the serious neglect of children. Although substance use is a public health issue in humanitarian settings it has always been a neglected area of public health with very limited information available in both published and grey literature on this matter. This review presents an overview of the problem and existing assessment and interventions tools to address substance use in conflict and post-conflict situations.

Perspectives of Frontline Professionals on Palestinian Children Living with Sibling and Parental Drug Use in the UNRWA Camps, Jordan

“…Previous studies have reported that internally displaced persons, refugees, excombatants, women, and youth in post-conflict situations are more likely to consume illicit drugs than are individuals in a stable society (Bhui & Warfa, 2007;Hanna, 2017). Substance use among populations displaced by conflict is a neglected area of public health (Ezard et al, 2011;Habib et al, 2012).…”

Challenges and opportunities for implementation of substance misuse interventions in conflict-affected populations

“…Substance misuse in conflict and post-conflict settings can exacerbate the concurrent health and social consequences arising from conflict and stifle the recovery process [ 4 , 5 ]. The mechanisms by which conflict is believed to increase risk for substance misuse include using substances, particularly alcohol, as a means to cope with increased psychosocial distress and adversity in the aftermath of a humanitarian emergency; changes in access and availability of alcohol and other drugs; displacement; and evolving social norms [ 6 , 7 ]. Epidemiologic estimates of the burden of substance misuse in conflict-affected populations are not always reliable and difficult to compare due to strong heterogeneity of studies with considerable variability in measurement, study design, sampling methods, and characteristics [ 2 ].…”

Efficacy and cultural adaptations of narrative exposure therapy for trauma-related outcomes in refugees/asylum-seekers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

“…However, the majority of published studies have explicitly excluded those with substance abuse issues. This fails to address the issue that some individuals may have developed negative coping behaviours to living with trauma such as alcohol or substance abuse, which can put them at further risk of severe mental health issues (Hanna, 2017). This issue should be addressed in future NET trials to determine if individuals with comorbid mental health issues can also benefit from this intervention.…”