Journal Article

Effects of War, Terrorism and Armed Conflict on Young Children: A Systematic Review

Slone, Michelle, Mann, Shiri

2016

Overview

Millions of children have been maimed, displaced, orphaned and killed in modern warfare that targets civilian populations. Several reviews have documented the impact of political trauma on children’s mental health but none has focused specifically on young children (ages 0–6). Since developmental factors influence the young child’s perception and experience of traumatic events, this developmental period is characterized by a unique spectrum of responses to political trauma. This systematic review, comprising 35 studies that included a total of 4365 young children, examined the effects of exposure to war, conflict and terrorism on young children and the influence of parental factors on these effects. Results showed that effects include PTSD and post-traumatic stress symptoms, behavioral and emotional symptoms, sleep problems, disturbed play, and psychosomatic symptoms. Correlations emerged between parental and children’s psychopathology and, additionally, family environment and parental functioning emerged as moderators of the exposure–outcome association for children.

• Publisher: Springer US,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Annual Reports / Armed Conflicts - psychology / Behavior problems / Behavioral Science and Psychology / Case Studies / Child and School Psychology / Child Development / Child Welfare / Child, Preschool / Children / Children & youth / Childrens health / Conflict / Developmental stages / Emotional behavior / Emotional-Behavioural problems / Exposure to Violence - prevention & control / Exposure to Violence - psychology / Family Environment / Family Relations - psychology / Home environment / Humans / Infant / Inferences / Information Seeking / Mental disorders / Mental Health / Meta Analysis / Moderators / Original Article / Orphans / Parent-child relations / Parental functioning / Parental influence / Parents & parenting / Perceptions / Post traumatic stress disorder / Posttraumatic Stress Disorder / Preschool Children / Psychiatry / Psychological trauma / Psychology / Psychopathology / Psychosomatic Disorders / Psychosomatic symptoms / Search Strategies / Selection Criteria / Sleep / Sleep disorders / Symptoms / Systematic review / Terrorism / Terrorism - psychology / Trauma / Traumatic life events / Traumatic stress / Trust (Psychology) / Violence / War / Warfare / Young Children