Mental health outcomes in communities exposed to Armed Conflict Experiences

BMC Psychology

Alberto Acosta¹  Natalia Trujillo²  Luz Stella Giraldo²  Sandra Trujillo²  José David López³ 

[1] Department of Experimental Psychology, Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Center (CIMCYC), Universidad de Granada;GISAME, Facultad Nacional de Salud Pública, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA;SISTEMIC, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia UdeA;

关键词: Mental health;    Armed Conflict;    Empathy;    Extreme Experiences;    Anxiety disorders;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s40359-021-00626-2

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Abstract Background Populations exposed to Armed Conflict Experiences (ACE) show different levels of impact in their mental health (i.e. clinical and positive components); however, there is limited evidence related to mental health of general population (civilians not classified as victims) exposed to ACE. Government guided mental health assessments exclude this population. The use of a newly validated Extreme Experiences Scale (EX2) seems appropriate to classify victims, ex-combatants, and civilians for their mental health assessment. Methods Here, we propose a novel approach to identify relationships between individuals classified with different levels of ACE exposure—independent of their legal role in the armed conflict, and mental health outcomes. According to the cut-off points derived from the scores of EX2, we classified the sample in low and high exposure to ACE. Results The high-level ACE group (scores > 2.5) included 119 subjects, and the low-level ACE was constituted by 66 subjects. Our results evidence that people with high exposure to ACE experiment higher odds to present anxiety disorders, risk of suicide, or post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as increased cognitive empathy (i.e., fantasy dimension). Conclusion These findings allowed us to identify the influence of ACE on mental health outcomes beyond the conventional frame (victim or ex-combatant), and to discuss effective interventions and implementation of mental health strategies in these communities. We expect to help the health system to focus on key vulnerable subjects by including civilians not recognized as victims, which are neglected from most of the public health screening, assessment, and interventions.

【 授权许可】

Unknown