The mental health disaster in conflict settings: Can scientific research help?

These results fit with a substantial body of epidemiological research, which has consistently shown that mental disorders become common in populations affected by war and conflict. The most prevalent set of symptoms corresponds well with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Endemic rates of PTSD, affecting at least every sixth person and sometimes even every other person, have been found among adults [2-5] and children [6,7] alike. Given that a mental disorder implicates significant functional impairment, and given that nearly half of countries worldwide harbour current conflict zones or bore witness to a recent war [8], these figures are shocking. PTSD rates continue to rise, unsurprising given that systematic atrocities, massacres, and attacks are often applied as deliberate strategies [9] to inflict suffering. Indeed, the likelihood of developing PTSD depends on the cumulative amount of traumatic stress experienced [10]. With its substantial sample, the Asma Al-Jawadi and Shatha Abdul-Rhman study not only validates this view, but the results show that many children are obviously severely deprived. The real figures for psychological dysfunction in Iraq may be even higher for two reasons: first, the poorest strata of the population was probably neglected in the sampling procedure and second, because the researchers did not use a standardized instrument to screen for the range of symptoms in the individuals. As a result, these data probably lead to an underestimate of the real prevalence.