Search

Introduction: Adolescent violence is a public health problem worldwide. Studies show that challenging environments, such as poverty and war, increase the risk of adolescent violence. This paper aims to assess gender differences in violent behaviors among adolescents in a post‐conflict area in Indonesia. The other aim of this study is to investigate the correlates of adolescents' violent behaviors using the socio‐ecological framework. Methods: This is a school‐based study involving 511 students from six randomly selected high schools in Kotamadya Ambon. Active and verbal violent behaviors and the potential correlates were measured and assessed using backward linear regression analyses. Results: Boys were involved in more violent behaviors than girls. However, some of the boys and girls reported being involved in all types of violent behaviors. The most significant correlates of violent behaviors across genders were community violence exposure and some types of behavioral problems. Discussion: This study highlighted the interconnectedness between community violence exposure and violent behaviors among adolescents living in a post‐conflict area. The study also emphasizes the association between problem behaviors and violent behaviors. The results demonstrate the importance of both reducing community violence exposure and identifying adolescents with behavioral problems in the prevention of violent behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive mental health, rather than just the absence of mental illness, is rarely investigated among the internally displaced persons (IDPs) affected by violent conflict in low-income countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate a model that could explain the interrelationship between factors contributing to positive mental health in displaced populations. In a longitudinal study we examine poverty, exposure to traumatic events and the change of material well-being after one year. We collected data in two consecutive years (2005 and 2006) from a community-based sample of IDPs in Ambon, Indonesia, through face-to-face structured interviews with consenting adults. Participants of this study were IDPs lived in Ambon during the violent conflict period. We interviewed 471 IDPs in the first year and reinterviewed 399 (85%) of the same subjects in the second year. The IDPs possessed good sense of coherence and subjective well-being. Our final model, which was generated by the use of structural equation modeling, fits the data well (χ2 = 52.51, df = 45,p = .21, CFI = .99, RMSEA = .019). Exposure to violent conflict had a negative impact on IDPs’ mental health initially and better economic conditions improved it (r = −.30 and .29 respectively). Mental health status one year previously was a strong predictor of future mental health, followed by individual economic growth in the past year (r = .43 and .29 respectively). On a group level the IDPs were resilient and adaptive to survive in adverse living conditions after devastating violent conflict, and the economic improvement contributed to it. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Large disasters affect people who live both near and far from the areas in which they occur. The mental health impact is expected to be similar to a ripple effect, where the risk of mental health consequences generally decreases with increasing distance from the disaster center. However, we have not been able to identify studies of the ripple effect of man-made disaster on mental health in low-income countries. Objectives: The objective was to examine the hypothesis of a ripple effect on the mental health consequences in populations exposed to man-made disasters in a developing country context, through a comparison of two different populations living in different proximities from the center of disaster in Mollucas. Methods: Cross-sectional longitudinal data were collected from 510 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in Ambon, who were directly exposed to the violence, and non-IDPs living in remote villages in Mollucas, Indonesia, who had never been directly exposed to violence in Mollucas. Data were collected during home visits and statistical comparisons were conducted by using chi square tests, t-test and logistic regression. Results: There was significantly more psychological distress "caseness" in IDPs than non-IDPs. The mental health consequences of the violent conflict in Ambon supported the ripple effect hypothesis as displacement status appears to be a strong risk factor for distress, both as a main effect and interaction effect. Significantly higher percentages of IDPs experienced traumatic events than non-IDPs in all six event types reported. Conclusions: This study indicates that the conflict had an impact on mental health and economic conditions far beyond the area where the actual violent events took place, in a diminishing pattern in line with the hypothesis of a ripple effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some of the possible reasons for deteriorating mental health among forced migrants have been identified as poverty, traumatic experiences before migration and postmigration negative life events. Previous studies suggest that the prevalence of psychological distress of forced migrants is higher among women than men. However, there is a lack of studies of internally displaced persons (IDP) that assess the relationship between psychological distress and selected variables in low income countries.Objectives: This study aims to assess the association between poverty, household roles and psychological distress among IDP in Ambon, Indonesia, and to identify different risk factors of psychological distress across household roles.Methods: In a cross-sectional study carried out in Ambon from July to September 2005, 460 adults were recruited from 200 households in 10 camp locations on Ambon Island. The Hopkins Symptom Check List-25 was used as a dichotomous variable ("case" score >/= 1.75) to measure psychological distress, and questionnaires were used to measure socioeconomic level, trauma experiences related to conflict and current health conditions. Data were collected through face-to-face structured interviews.Results: The overall prevalence of psychological distress was 47%. Prevalence was highest among women, regardless of their household roles (55%), and lowest among men (37%). Different risk factors for psychological distress were identified for each household role. Poverty-related risk factors were only significant among "mothers". An important risk factor for "fathers" was long-term illness (lasting more than three months), and for "mothers" was witnessed murder.Conclusion: Different risk factors were identified for each household role of IDP, indicating that their mental health care requirements may be different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies have shown the adverse impact of exposure to community violence on adolescent health. However, most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries. This study aimed at assessing the community violence exposure and the determinants of mental health problems among adolescents in Ambon, a post-conflict area in Indonesia., Material and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, school-based study involving 511 of 10th-graders from six randomly selected high schools in Kotamadya Ambon. Our participants were assessed using a set of questionnaires including the Strength Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to measure mental health problems, and the child version of the Screen for Adolescent Violence Exposure (KID-SAVE) to measure community violence exposure. The hierarchical regression analyses were used to explore the determinants of mental health problems., Results: In this study, boys reported more exposure to community violence (both in frequency and severity) than girls. Meanwhile, the girls reported higher emotional problems than boys. The hierarchical regression analyses revealed that in the total sample and among boys, the community violence exposure was associated with mental health problems. However, it was the perceived impact of community violence exposure which showed an association with mental health problems among girls., Conclusions: This study revealed the high community violence exposure among adolescents living in a post-conflict setting in Indonesia. The study also found gender differences in the determinants of mental health problems among adolescents who were exposed to CVE., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)