Emic Perspectives on the Impact of Armed Conflict on Children's Mental Health and Psychosocial Well-Being: Applying a Social Ecological Framework of Resilience in Northern Sri Lanka

The impact of armed conflict on the mental health of children and youth has been well documented. However, examining emic perspectives (i.e., locally held insider views) on the mental health consequences of armed conflicts in diverse populations has received less attention. Qualitative data was coll...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Peace and conflict 2016-08, Vol.22 (3), p.246-253
Main Authors: Thomas, Fiona C., Tol, Wietse A., Vallipuram, Anavarathan, Sivayokan, Sambasivamoorthy, Jordans, Mark J. D., Reis, Ria, de Jong, Joop T. V. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Children & youth
Childrens health
Community services
Conflict
Cultural conflict
Family conflict
Female
Focus groups
Good & evil
Group research
Human
Impact analysis
Male
Mental Health
Mental health services
Parents & parenting
Personality traits
Qualitative research
Resilience (Psychological)
Social welfare
Teachers
Violence
War
Well Being
Witchcraft
Youth
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The impact of armed conflict on the mental health of children and youth has been well documented. However, examining emic perspectives (i.e., locally held insider views) on the mental health consequences of armed conflicts in diverse populations has received less attention. Qualitative data was collected in northern Sri Lanka, which included focus groups (FGs) with children, parents, and teachers (20 FGs), key informant interviews (18), and semistructured interviews with families particularly affected by the armed conflict (7). Thematic analyses showed a large range of impact on mental health conceptualized as spiritual problems (e.g., evil spirits and witchcraft), moral concerns (e.g., violence as a means to solve conflict), and perceived cultural decline. Most problems are addressed within the family, but eclectic care across the formal and informal sectors is sought when symptoms persist or worsen. Using a theoretical framework of ecological resilience, we identified examples of resources for children at the individual, family, and community levels. Mental health services in Sri Lanka could be improved by building on local mental health conceptualizations and available resources, especially with regard to rebuilding links between individual, family, and community structures.
ISSN:1078-1919
1532-7949
DOI:10.1037/pac0000172