TY - JOUR T1 - A qualitative study of mental health problems among children displaced by war in northern Uganda JF - Transcult PsychiatryTranscult Psychiatry Y1 - 2009 A1 - Betancourt, T. S. A1 - Speelman, L. A1 - Onyango, G. A1 - Bolton, P. KW - *Cross-Cultural Comparison KW - *Developing Countries KW - Adolescent KW - Adult KW - Anxiety Disorders/diagnosis/*ethnology/psychology KW - Child KW - Cross-Sectional Studies KW - Depressive Disorder/diagnosis/*ethnology/psychology KW - Dysthymic Disorder/diagnosis/*ethnology/psychology KW - Female KW - Humans KW - Interview, Psychological KW - Male KW - Refugees/*psychology KW - Social Problems/psychology KW - Uganda AB - While multiple studies have found that children affected by war are at increased risk for a range of mental health problems, little research has investigated how mental health problems are perceived locally. In this study we used a previously developed rapid ethnographic assessment method to explore local perceptions of mental health problems among children and adults from the Acholi ethnic group displaced by the war in northern Uganda. We conducted 45 free list interviews and 57 key informant interviews. The rapid assessment approach appears to have worked well for interviewing caretakers and children aged 10-17 years. We describe several locally defined syndromes: two tam/par/kumu (depression and dysthymia-like syndromes), ma lwor (a mixed anxiety and depression-like syndrome), and a category of conduct problems referred to as kwo maraco/gin lugero. The descriptions of these local syndromes were similar to western mood, anxiety and conduct disorders, but included culture-specific elements. VL - 46 SN - 1363-4615 (Print)
1363-4615 (Linking) N1 - Betancourt, Theresa Stichick
Speelman, Liesbeth
Onyango, Grace
Bolton, Paul
eng
K01 MH077246/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/
K01 MH077246-01A2/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
England
2009/06/23 09:00
Transcult Psychiatry. 2009 Jun;46(2):238-56. doi: 10.1177/1363461509105815. U2 - 2775515 ER -