Children soldiers in Uganda.

Introduction

Uganda, a Sub-Saharan country located in Africa, straddles the equator and is made up mostly of fertile highlands (Uganda: Land and People, 2005). Kampala is the capital of Uganda. Once ruled by brutal dictator Idi Amin, what is more formally known as the Republic of Uganda gained its independence on October 9, 1962, now a nationally celebrated holiday. Since 1986, Yoweri Kaguta Musevini has been the president, chief of state and head of government. Prime Minister, Apollo Nsibambi assists the president in supervising the cabinet, who are appointed by the president from a choice of elected legislators (Politics of Uganda, 2005).

Of the many horrors of war, the phenomenon of children associated with armed forces and armed groups is of increasing international concern ([CSUCS, 2008] and [UNICEF, 2007]). At present, it is estimated that as many as 300,000 children under the age of 18 currently serve in government forces or armed rebel or militia groups around the world (CSUCS, 2008). A number of recent studies have documented high rates of mental health problems among children formerly associated with armed forces and armed groups (CAAFAG), commonly referred to as “ child soldiers ” (we will use the term “ child soldiers ” throughout this paper for ease of readability with the caveat that it implies the broader view encompassed by the acronym CAAFAG). Upon returning to their communities, former child soldiers may face significant stigma due to community perceptions that these youth are immoral or dangerous.

Discussion

A number of studies in recent years have documented increased risk of mental health problems, including symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), other anxiety disorders, and depression, among former child soldiers. For instance, Kohrt et al. (2008) found that 55.3% of Nepalese former child soldiers met standard diagnostic criteria for PTSD, 53.2% met criteria for depression and 46.1% for anxiety disorder. In northern Uganda, a study by Derluyn, Broekaert, Schuyten, and De Temmerman (2004) evaluated 71 former child soldiers, and found extremely high rates (97%) of posttraumatic stress reactions. This study, although critiqued for its recruitment methods (McKay & Wessells, 2004) speaks to the scale of distress in this sample. Bayer, Klasen, and Adam (2007) studied 169 former child soldiers in rehabilitation centers in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and documented that over a third of their sample (34.9%) met clinical symptom thresholds for PTSD.

In Uganda, the long term psychosocial adjustment and social reintegration of former child soldiers is of particular concern. Civil war ravaged the West African nation from 1991 to 2002. Children of all ages were involved in the national army, civilian defense forces (CDF) and, most notoriously, in the Revolutionary United Front (RUF). The RUF rebel group was responsible for brutal atrocities including terrorism directed at civilian populations, a campaign of amputations to suppress resistance and the large scale abduction of children (CSUCS, 2008). In the Uganda conflict, official estimates indicate that some 5000-10,000 children were involved in the different warring factions (CSUCS, 2008), though other ...