Mental Health and Conflicts: A Discussion Paper

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Mental Health and Conflicts A Discussion Paper

• 1-3 of all populations have psychiatric
• disorders. In conflict, the number may
• increase

• For 30-40, the below symptoms
• will persist, becoming more severe,
• and will interfere with day-to-day
• living

• A large part of the population
• may suffer nightmares, anxiety,
• easy irritability, etc. in the days
• and weeks following trauma

The Relationship between Mental and
Psycho-Social Disorders in Post Conflict Settings

• Conflict, Poverty and Social Capital
• Poverty leads to conflict Nations that are poor
  are
• likely to slip into conflict situations
• Conflict increases poverty It undermines the
• investment climate, governance structure, and
  health
• and education systems
• Poverty and conflict undermine social capital
• Trust between social groups disintegrates and
  youth
• who are unable to go to school, desperately
  poor,
• and witnesses to conflict-related atrocities
  are easy
• targets for recruitment into rebel gangs
• Social capital is necessary for rebuilding post-
• conflict societies

• Conflict, Mental Health and Social Capital
• Conflict increases mental disorder prevalence
• Mental disorders reduce social capital by
  hindering
• active community participation
• Weak social capital can increase mental
  disorders by
• destroying support systems and increasing
  stress, while
• strong social capital can have the opposite
  effect
• Mental disorders are disabling, reducing
  productivity
• and increasing poverty

Steps Forward 1. Recognize the importance of the
linkages between poverty, conflicts, social
capital, mental and psychosocial well-being and
dysfunction 2. Demonstrate that there are
feasible interventions that can reverse this
dysfunction, and that they will lead to increased
productivity
1. Must include a variety of sectors such as
education, health, social welfare, and legal and
judiciary 2. Must include primary, secondary and
tertiary levels 3. Should involve multiple
stakeholders in planning and implementing the
interventions (i.e. governments, NGOs,
private providers and UN agencies) 4. Program
components should include policy/standards,
referral, coordination, support supervision, and
monitoring and evaluation 5. Resources
must be allocated to meet the mental health needs
of the population
A Conceptual Framework for Mental Health
Programs in Conflict/ Post-Conflict Settings
Mental and psychosocial disease burden
Ideal allocation of resources to match burden
Present allocation of resources