ERIC Number: EJ1010141
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0009-3920
EISSN: N/A
Trajectories of Internalizing Problems in War-Affected Sierra Leonean Youth: Examining Conflict and Postconflict Factors
Betancourt, Theresa S.; McBain, Ryan; Newnham, Elizabeth A.; Brennan, Robert T.
Child Development, v84 n2 p455-470 Mar-Apr 2013
Three waves of data from a prospective longitudinal study in Sierra Leone were used to examine internalizing trajectories in 529 war-affected youth (ages 10-17 at baseline; 25% female). Latent class growth analyses identified 4 trajectories: A large majority of youth maintained lower levels of internalizing problems (41.4%) or significantly improved over time (47.6%) despite very limited access to care, but smaller proportions continued to report severe difficulties 6 years postwar (4.5%) or their symptoms worsened (6.4%). Continued internalizing problems were associated with loss of a caregiver, family abuse and neglect, and community stigma. Despite the comparative resilience of most war-affected youth in the face of extreme adversity, there remains a compelling need for interventions that address family- and community-level stressors. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: War, Conflict, Longitudinal Studies, Foreign Countries, Adolescents, Behavior Problems, Severity (of Disability), Symptoms (Individual Disorders), Caregivers, Child Abuse, Child Neglect, Social Bias, Parents, Family Influence, Environmental Influences, Mental Health, Questionnaires, Depression (Psychology), Anxiety, Victims, Adjustment (to Environment), Regression (Statistics), Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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Publication Type: Reports - Research; Journal Articles
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Sierra Leone
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A