Posttraumatic Resilience in Former Ugandan Child Soldiers

Authors: Klasen, Fionna¹; Oettingen, Gabriele²; Daniels, Judith³; Post, Manuela⁴; Hoyer, Catrin⁴; Adam, Hubertus³

Source: Child Development, Volume 81, Number 4, July/August 2010 , pp. 1096-1113(18)

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Abstract:

The present research examines posttraumatic resilience in extremely exposed children and adolescents based on interviews with 330 former Ugandan child soldiers (age = 11-17, female = 48.5%). Despite severe trauma exposure, 27.6% showed posttraumatic resilience as indicated by the absence of posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and clinically significant behavioral and emotional problems. Among these former child soldiers, posttraumatic resilience was associated with lower exposure to domestic violence, lower guilt cognitions, less motivation to seek revenge, better socioeconomic situation in the family, and more perceived spiritual support. Among the youth with significant psychopathology, many of them had symptoms extending beyond the criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder, in keeping with the emerging concept of developmental trauma disorder. Implications for future research, intervention, and policy are discussed.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01456.x

Affiliations: 1: University Medical Center of Hamburg and University of Hamburg 2: New York University and University of Hamburg 3: University Medical Center of Hamburg 4: University of Hamburg

Publication date: 2010-07-01