Mediators of the relation between war experiences and suicidal ideation among former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: the WAYS study

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dc.contributor.authorAmone-P’Olak, Kennedy
dc.contributor.authorMolemane Lekhutlile, Tlholego
dc.contributor.authorMeiser-Stedman, Richard
dc.contributor.authorOvuga, Emilio
dc.date.accessioned2022-03-11T10:03:09Z
dc.date.available2022-03-11T10:03:09Z
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractGlobally, suicide is a public health burden especially in the aftermath of war. Understanding the processes that define the path from previous war experiences (WE) to current suicidal ideation (SI) is crucial for defining opportunities for interventions. We assessed the extent to which different types of previous WE predict current SI and whether post-war hardships and depression mediate the relations between WE and SI among former child soldiers (FCS) in Northern Uganda. Methods: We performed cross-sectional analyses with a sample of 539 FCS (61% male) participating in an on-going longitudinal study. The influence of various types of previous WE on current SI and mediation by post-war hardships and depression were assessed by regression analyses. Results: The following types of war experiences: “witnessing violence”, “direct personal harm”, “deaths”, “Involvement in hostilities”, “sexual abuse” and “general war experiences” significantly predicted current SI in a univariable analyses whereas “direct personal harm”, “involvement in hostilities”, and “sexual abuse” independently predicted current SI in a multivariable analyses. General WE were linked to SI (β = 0.18 (95% CI 0.10 to 0.25)) through post-war hardships (accounting for 69% of the variance in their relationship) and through depression/anxiety (β = 0.17 (95% CI 0.12 to 0.22)) accounting for 65% of the variance in their relationship. The direct relationship between previous WE and current SI reduced but remained marginally significant (β = .08, CI: (.01, .17) for depression/anxiety but not for post-war hardships (β = .09, CI: (−.03, .20). Conclusion: Types of WE should be examined when assessing risks for SI. Interventions to reduce SI should aim to alleviate post-war hardships and treat depression/anxiety.en_US
dc.identifier.citationAmone-P’Olak et al.: Mediators of the relation between war experiences and suicidal ideation among former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: the WAYS study. BMC Psychiatry 2014 14:271. doi:10.1186/s12888-014-0271-2en_US
dc.identifier.other10.1186/s12888-014-0271-2
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/xmlui/handle/123456789/2704
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherBMC Psychiatryen_US
dc.subjectWar experiencesen_US
dc.subjectSuicidal ideationen_US
dc.subjectFormer child soldiersen_US
dc.subjectNorthern Ugandaen_US
dc.titleMediators of the relation between war experiences and suicidal ideation among former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: the WAYS studyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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