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The influence of different types of war experiences on depression and anxiety in a Ugandan cohort of war-affected youth: the WAYS study

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Abstract

Background

War experiences (WE) are frequently associated with mental health problems. Whether different types of WE vary in predicting which problem, or how severe, in former child soldiers (FCS) remains unknown.

Methods

Using data from the first wave of an on-going longitudinal cohort study (the WAYS study), we investigated relations between types of WE and symptoms of depression/anxiety among FCS in Northern Uganda (N = 539, baseline age = 22.39; SD = 2.03, range 18–25). Using robust Maximum Likelihood estimation in SEM, regression analyses were performed to relate binary indicators of types of WE to a single latent factor capturing symptoms of depression/anxiety.

Results

SEM results showed that “direct personal harm”, “witnessing violence”, “deaths”, “threat to loved ones”, “involvement in hostilities”, and “sexual abuse” indicators were related to reported symptoms of depression/anxiety irrespective of gender and age. Multivariable models revealed independent associations of “witnessing violence” (β = 0.29, SE = 0.09, p < 0.001) and “deaths” (β = 0.14, SE = 0.05, p < 0.001) with symptoms of depression/anxiety in both sexes. “Sexual abuse” (β = 0.32, SE = 0.16, p < 0.001) independently predicted symptoms of depression/anxiety for female but not male youths whilst “threat to loved ones” (β = 0.13, SE = 0.07, p < 0.05) independently predicted symptoms of depression/anxiety in male but not female youths.

Conclusions

Dimensions of WE predicted symptoms of depression/anxiety differently, but it is hard to establish their causal status. Our findings suggest that it might be fruitful to consider such exposure variations of WE when designing interventions to mitigate the symptoms of depression/anxiety on male and female FCS.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the war-affected youths for accepting to participate in this study and the following research assistants for collecting data: George Opio, Balaam Nyeko Otim, John Bismarck Okumu, Terrence Okot Akidi, Allan Silverman Obwoya, Denis Komakech, Sandra Abalo, Christine Laura Okello, Patrick Opira, Charles Opira, Justin Ongom, Dennis Nyero, Pamela Akumu, Christine Lamwaka, Brenda Akello, Agnes Areta, Kevin Aculu, Irene Faith Alinga, Douglas Too-rach, Sam Ford Komakech, and Mary Fiona Aber. This study was funded by The Welcome Trust (Grant No. 087540/Z/08/Z) as part of the African Institutional Initiative for the project Training Health Researchers in Vocational Excellence (THRiVE) in East Africa. A decision by Wellcome Trust to continue with funding for the next 5 years is due in February 2013. For now, Gulu University is committed to fund the data gathering activities of the research project for the next 5 years.

Conflict of interest

All authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Gulu University, P O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda

    Kennedy Amone-P’Olak

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Kennedy Amone-P’Olak, Peter B. Jones & Rosemary Abbott

  3. Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Gulu University, P O Box 166, Gulu, Uganda

    Kennedy Amone-P’Olak & Emilio Ovuga

  4. Department of Health Sciences, The University of York, Seebohm Rowntree Building, Heslington, York, YO10 5DD, UK

    Tim J. Croudace

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  1. Kennedy Amone-P’Olak
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  2. Emilio Ovuga
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  4. Peter B. Jones
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  5. Rosemary Abbott
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Correspondence to Kennedy Amone-P’Olak.

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Amone-P’Olak, K., Ovuga, E., Croudace, T.J. et al. The influence of different types of war experiences on depression and anxiety in a Ugandan cohort of war-affected youth: the WAYS study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 49, 1783–1792 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-014-0873-5

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