War experiences and psychotic symptoms among former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: the mediating role of post-war hardships – the WAYS Study
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Date
2015
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
South African Journal of Psychology
Abstract
Psychotic symptoms have been associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and war
experiences. However, the relationships between types of war experiences, the onset and course
of psychotic symptoms, and post-war hardships in child soldiers have not been investigated. This
study assessed whether various types of war experiences contribute to psychotic symptoms
differently and whether post-war hardships mediated the relationship between war experiences
and later psychotic symptoms. In an ongoing longitudinal cohort study (the War-Affected Youths
Survey), 539 (61% male) former child soldiers were assessed for psychotic symptoms, post-war
hardships, and previous war experiences. Regression analyses were used to assess the contribution
of different types of war experiences on psychotic symptoms and the mediating role of postwar
hardships in the relations between previous war experiences and psychotic symptoms. The
findings yielded ‘witnessing violence’, ‘deaths and bereavement’, ‘involvement in hostilities’, and
‘sexual abuse’ as types of war experiences that significantly and independently predict psychotic
symptoms. Exposure to war experiences was related to psychotic symptoms through post-war
hardships (β = .18, 95% confidence interval = [0.10, 0.25]) accounting for 50% of the variance in
their relationship. The direct relation between previous war experiences and psychotic symptoms
attenuated but remained significant (β = .18, 95% confidence interval = [0.12, 0.26]). Types of war
experiences should be considered when evaluating risks for psychotic symptoms in the course of
providing emergency humanitarian services in post-conflict settings. Interventions should consider
post-war hardships as key determinants of psychotic symptoms among war-affected youths.
Description
Keywords
Former child soldiers, Post-war hardships, Psychotic symptoms, War experiences
Citation
Amone-P’Olak, K., Otim, B. N., Opio, G., Ovuga, E., & Meiser-Stedman, R. (2015). War experiences and psychotic symptoms among former child soldiers in Northern Uganda: The mediating role of post-war hardships–the WAYS Study. South African Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 155-167. DOI: 10.1177/0081246314556567