Theresa S. Betancourt|Jessica Agnew?Blais|Stephen E. Gilman|David R. Williams|B. Heidi Ellis
Past horrors, present struggles: The role of stigma in the association between war experiences and psychosocial adjustment among former child soldiers in Sierra Leone
Harvard Global Health Institute|Harvard University|Harvard University|Harvard University|Boston Children's Hospital|Harvard University
upon returning communities children formerly associated armed forces armed groupscommonly referred child soldiersoften confront significant community stigma much research reintegration rehabilitation child soldiers focused exposure past warrelated violence mental health outcomes yet empirical work yet examined role postconflict stigma plays shaping longterm psychosocial adjustment two waves data used paper first prospective study male female former child soldiers sierra leone examined role stigma manifest discrimination well lower levels community family acceptance relationship warrelated experiences psychosocial adjustment depression anxiety hostility adaptive behaviors former child soldiers differ one another regard postwar experiences differences profoundly shape psychosocial adjustment time consistent social stress theory observed postconflict factors stigma play important role shaping psychosocial adjustment former child soldiers found discrimination inversely associated family community acceptance additionally higher levels family acceptance associated decreased hostility improvements community acceptance associated adaptive attitudes behaviors found postconflict experiences discrimination largely explained relationship past involvement woundingkilling others subsequent increases hostility stigma similarly mediated relationship surviving rape depression however surviving rape continued demonstrate independent effects increases anxiety hostility adaptiveprosocial behaviors adjusting variables findings point complexity psychosocial adjustment community reintegration youth number programmatic policy implications