Tag: Psychosocial Stress

What is the Intergenerational Impact of War on Mental Health & Psychosocial Wellbeing?

Published on by Andrew Marshall1 Comment

Research Paper Title

The intergenerational impact of war on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: lessons from the longitudinal study of war-affected youth in Sierra Leone.

Background

Globally, one in four children lives in a country affected by armed conflict or disaster often accompanied by exposure to a range of adversities including violent trauma and loss. Children involved with armed groups (often referred to as “child soldiers”) typically exhibit high levels of mental health needs linked to their experiences.

The Longitudinal Study of War-Affected Youth (LSWAY) in Sierra Leone is a seventeen-year prospective longitudinal study of the long-term effects of children’s experiences in the country’s eleven-year (1991-2002) civil war on their adult mental health and functioning in addition to exploring the potential mechanisms by which intergenerational transmission of emotional and behavioral disruptions due to war trauma may operate.

LSWAY illuminates how war-related and post-conflict experiences shape long-term adult functioning, family dynamics, and developmental outcomes in offspring

Discussion

The LSWAY study utilises mixed methodologies that incorporate qualitative and quantitative data to unpack risk and protective factors involved in social reintegration, psychosocial adjustment, parenting, and interpersonal relationships.

To date, study findings demonstrate striking levels of persistent mental health problems among former child soldiers as adults with consequences for their families, but also risk and protective patterns that involve family- and community-level factors.

This case study examines the course of LSWAY from inception through implementation and dissemination, including building on the study results to design and evaluate several intervention models.

Conclusions

The case study offers a unique perspective on challenges and field realities of health research in a fragile, post-conflict setting common in the context of humanitarian emergencies.

LSWAY findings along with lessons learned from the field can inform future research as well as intervention research and implementation science to address the mental health and development of war-affected young people.

With four waves of data collection and a planned fifth wave, LSWAY also provides rare insights into the intergenerational effects of humanitarian crises on children, youth, and families across generations.

Reference

Betancourt, T.S., Keegan, K., Farrar, J. & Brennan, R.T. (2020) The intergenerational impact of war on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing: lessons from the longitudinal study of war-affected youth in Sierra Leone. Conflict and Health. 14:62. doi: 10.1186/s13031-020-00308-7. eCollection 2020.

What are the Effects from Perinatal Period to Adulthood on Psychosocial Stress & Adversity?

Published on by Andrew MarshallLeave a comment

Research Paper Title

Psychosocial Stress and Adversity: Effects from the Perinatal Period to Adulthood.

Abstract

Early exposure to stress and adversity can have both immediate and lasting effects on physical and psychological health.

Critical periods have been identified in infancy, during which the presence or absence of experiences can alter developmental trajectories.

There are multiple explanations for how exposure to psychosocial stress, before conception or early in life, has an impact on later increased risk for developmental delays, mental health, and chronic metabolic diseases.

Through both epidemiologic and animal models, the mechanisms by which experiences are transmitted across generations are being identified.

Because psychosocial stress has multiple components that can act as stress mediators, a comprehensive understanding of the complex interactions between multiple adverse or beneficial experiences and their ultimate effects on health is essential to best identify interventions that will improve health and outcomes.

This review outlines what is known about the biology, transfer, and effects of psychosocial stress and early life adversity from the perinatal period to adulthood.

This information can be used to identify potential areas in which clinicians in neonatal medicine could intervene to improve outcomes.

Reference

Barrero-Castillero, A., Morton, S.U., Nelson, C.A. & Smith, V.C. (2019) Psychosocial Stress and Adversity: Effects from the Perinatal Period to Adulthood. NeoReviews. 20(12):e686-e696. doi: 10.1542/neo.20-12-e686.