Improving adolescent mental health and protection in humanitarian settings
Longitudinal findings from a multi-arm randomized controlled trial of child-friendly spaces among South Sudanese refugees in Uganda.
Abstract
The effects of conflict and displacement on adolescent mental health and protection are profound and can have lasting consequences. The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of two group-based psychosocial interventions on mental health and protection of South Sudanese refugee adolescents.
The randomised controlled trial found that both psychosocial interventions when implemented in a Child Friendly Space (CFS) are well suited as a first-line mental health and violence prevention intervention for adolescent populations exposed to conflict and forced displacement. Where feasible, CFS should be implemented as a primary response strategy soon after displacement to improve psychological health and reduce the risk environment for adolescents.
This research was supported by the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme.
Citation
Metzler, J., Saw, T., Nono, D., Kadondi, A., Zhang, Y., Leu, C.-S., Gabriel, A., Savage, K. and Landers, C. ‘Improving adolescent mental health and protection in humanitarian settings: longitudinal findings from a multi-arm randomized controlled trial of child-friendly spaces among South Sudanese refugees in Uganda’. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 2023: volume 64, issue 6, pages 907-917. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13746