The impact of the Gulf armed conflict on the health and behaviour of Kuwaiti children

• Published in: Social science & medicine (1982) 1995-10, Vol.41 (7), p.1033-1037
• Main Author: Al-Eissa, Youssef A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Analysis. Health state; Armed conflict; Behavior; Behavior Problems; Behaviourism; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child health; Child psychology; Child Reactive Disorders - diagnosis; Child Reactive Disorders - epidemiology; Child Reactive Disorders - psychology; Children; combat disorders; Combat Disorders - diagnosis; Combat Disorders - epidemiology; Combat Disorders - psychology; combat disorders refugees violence war Kuwait; Developing Countries; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Gulf War; Gulf War 1991; Health; Humans; Kuwait; Kuwait - epidemiology; Male; Medical sciences; Personality Development; Psychological aspects; Psychological Distress; Psychological Stress; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; refugees; Refugees - psychology; Relocation; Saudi Arabia; Stress; violence; Violence - psychology; War; Warfare
• ISSN: 0277-9536; 1873-5347
• DOI: 10.1016/0277-9536(94)00414-O

This study deals with the psychological reactions of Kuwaiti children to war-related stresses in the early period of the Gulf crisis following the summer 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A sample of 106 children was drawn from Kuwaiti displaced families and a comparable control sample was obtained from Saudi families in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An interview checklist of symptoms of physical and psychological distress was administered to the index child and a female key informant in each household of cases and controls. Most Kuwaiti children were exposed to unpleasant war experiences. It was found that Kuwaiti children exhibited a substantially greater degree of dysfunctional social and emotional behaviour. The types of adverse behaviours were a function of the child's age, sex and experience of aggression. The findings support the notion that a negative relationship exists between armed conflict and the health and behaviour of the children. The complex needs of children exposed to violence require professionals to seek ways of combining psychodynamic interventions and relief programmes.