| SPECIAL SECTION |
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| Year : 2014 | Volume
: 12
| Issue : 3 | Page : 367-378 |
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Protective and risk factors of psychosocial wellbeing related to the reintegration of former child soldiers in Nepal
Ramesh Prasad Adhikari1, Brandon A Kohrt2, Nagendra Prasad Luitel3, Nawaraj Upadhaya4, Dristy Gurung5, Mark JD Jordans6
1 psychiatrist and medical anthropologist at the Research Department, Transcultural Psychosocial Organization (TPO), Nepal
2 psychiatrist and medical anthropologist at the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, USA
3 research manager, at the Research Department, TPO, Nepal
4 project coordinator at the Research Department, TPO, Nepal
5 research officer at the Research Department, TPO, Nepal
6 Head of Research at Research and Development, Health Net TPO, the Netherlands and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Global Mental Health, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, UK
Correspondence Address:
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
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This paper explores protective and risk factors for mental health and psychosocial wellbeing among 300 child solders (verified minors) through a longitudinal study. Both the Hopkins Symptoms Check list and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist (civilian version) were used to measure mental health problems, while the Generalised Estimating Equation was used to identify both the protective and risk factors over time. Anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder decreased over a nine month period, while depression prevalence did not change. Social support, inter-caste marriage, low caste and residence in far western geographic regions were all associated with greater mental health problems. Rehabilitation packages were not associated with improved mental health, and former child solders enrolled in vocational programmes had greater posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity. The findings suggest that strong social support is needed, as rehabilitation packages alone may be insufficient to improve mental health.
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