Executive and behavioral characterization of chronic exposure to armed conflict among war victims and veterans.

Abstract

Executive and cognitive processes constitute an important mechanism to respond to different social demands that people experiment in everyday life. Neuropsychological approaches have evaluated these mechanisms in people with brain injury, mental and behavioral disorders, and recently, in nonclinical populations such as war/armed conflict ex-combatants. Particularly, the long history of Colombian armed conflict allows us to characterize how ex-combatants exposed to armed conflict events identify and learn from social cues to select adaptive and efficient responses. The present study characterizes behavioral and neuropsychological performance in 111 subjects, including victims, ex-combatants, and controls, who were chronically exposed to armed conflict in Colombia. We evaluated cognitive processes such as attention, social categorization, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility through computerized and neuropsychological instruments. Results revealed that: (a) ex-combatants had lower performance in cognitive scales compared with the other 2 groups; (b) victims described shorter RTs than ex-combatants and nonexposed controls in attentional task; and (c) nonexposed controls were faster to respond to cognitive flexibility tasks respect to the other 2 groups. We interpreted that differences in the response pattern of ex-combatants and victims are associated with their exposure to armed conflict experiences. We also consider that differential performed among the exposed group is associated with their role in the conflict. We expect in the future to enhance the comprehension of these patterns and contribute to design and implement evidence-based psychological therapies that improve their abilities to adapt to the demands of this social context and, consequently, build peace in those communities.

Effect of a neuropsychological intervention program on executive functions and social cognition in select child witnesses in the Colombian armed conflict.

“…Although the study samples differed, as a whole, these results highlight the importance of including social cognition in neuropsychological rehabilitation programs for victims of conflict. They also support the need to intervene in cognitive skills that are closely related with socioemotional functionality (Pellizzoni et al, 2019; Trujillo et al, 2019).…”

“…Executive behaviors linked to inhibitory control have been argued to be deeply affected in victims, resulting in difficulties in adapting to social contexts (Trujillo et al, 2019; Urquijo et al, 2017). For this reason, the positive effects generated by the treatment on the inhibition capacity at a cognitive and behavioral level would allow for children to adjust to their school and family environments more effectively, reducing the chances of dropping out of school or of poor academic performance (Lawson & Farah, 2017; Mason & Zaccoletti, 2021).…”

The emotional fallout of armed conflict in Colombia: Emotions, empathy, and aggression in victims, indirect victims, and members of the military.

“…Exposure to contexts of armed conflict changes emotional processing, which in turn affects future emotional responses to other social contexts (Tobón & Pineda, 2019). These changes include higher attentional and emotional reactivity in conflict situations across family, work, and educational interpersonal contexts (Trujillo et al, 2019).…”

The psychological citizen, democracy, and peace.

“…The final two major empirical studies provide deeper examinations of the psychological consequences of destructive conflict. In an innovative study, Trujillo, Trujillo, Valencia, Ugarriza and, Acosta Mesas (2019) examined behavioral and neuropsychological performance of individuals involved in conflict. The findings demonstrate that, compared with controls, those involved in conflict had lower performance on various cognitive tasks.…”