Promoting Recovery After War in Northern Uganda: Reducing Daily Stressors by Alleviating Poverty

Abstract

Findings from a representative survey of youth in northern Uganda suggest that former female child soldiers experience a range of distress symptoms, have initial problems reintegrating, and have fewer education and employment opportunities than males. Given the multiple layers of needs, the findings pose a question of where best to intervene. Would broad-based economic programs address this population's poverty while also indirectly addressing mental health symptoms by reducing stress and improving social capital? This article describes how these findings led to the development and evaluation of an economic and social program designed to reduce daily stressors and improve this population's economic, social, and psychological outcomes through livelihoods training, a cash grant for small business development, and follow-up support.In the aftermath of mass violence, agencies and policymakers are faced with tough decisions about how to allocate limited resources to help individuals, families, and communities recover and rebuild. In postconflict settings like

Postwar environment and long-term mental health problems in former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: the WAYS study

“…The significant direct effect of WE on depression/anxiety after adjustment for PWE stressors is consistent with previous findings 20 23 26. For example, in a study in Mozambique, war-affected boys still experienced intrusive memories related to their WE 16 years after they returned to their communities and showed normal functioning over time 46.…”

“…These experiences mentioned above may be more distressing and impairing than the narrower diagnosis of PTSD. Consequently, research should extend beyond PTSD to tackle what is currently known about perpetration-induced trauma,21 rebuilding the sense of moral agency in individuals or repairing any distortion resulting from the experiences and events of a war,17 19 22 as well as addressing PWE and contexts as additional stressors 20 23…”

Youth mental health after civil war: The importance of daily stressors

“…As such, government and non-governmental agencies must make difficult decisions to direct the few resources available to programmes that will provide the greatest benefit in recovery and rebuilding after conflict. 24 The current findings support a growing evidence base on the importance of daily stressors. For example, among adult Darfuri refugees living in camps in Chad, levels of distress were more closely correlated with basic needs and concerns about safety than with war traumas.…”

The Youth Readiness Intervention for War-Affected Youth

“…Increasing attention is being paid to the severity and impact of daily stressors worsened or caused by conflict on youths' ability to function in post-conflict settings [34,35]. Theoretical and empirical evaluations of psychological outcomes after war suggest that a range of current stressors (e.g., food and water insecurity, household conflicts, housing evictions) have potential to prolong or exacerbate mental health difficulties related to trauma exposure [36,37].…”