Conflicto armado y salud mental en infancia y adolescencia

Abstract

Introduction: The different armed conflicts (AC) leave evident consequences on the mental health (MH) of children and adolescents. A series of outcomes have been documented that have as a common factor the vulnerability of this population and the significant biopsychosocial effects. Objective: to identify and synthesize the different consequences of AC on the MH of the child and adolescent population. Mateethods: Comprehensive systematic search for revisions until July 2019 in the Medline (Ovid), Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Lilacs and additional resources databases. The extraction and analysis were carried out in a narrative way describing characteristics of the studies, objectives and consequences in MH in three moments: pre-conflict, during the conflict and post-conflict. Results: A total of 72 studies were accepted from a total of 587 potentially relevant articles. In the pre-conflict, psychological experiences and anticipatory somatic symptoms were detailed. During the conflict, there was evidence of regressive, behavioral and cognitive symptoms such as enuresis, fear, sadness, aggression, hyperactivity, inattention, among others. Additionally, direct consequences were identified as adaptation disorders, depression, anxiety and, to a greater extent, post-traumatic stress. Finally, in the post-conflict process transmission of the consequence and resilience were found. On the other hand, it delved into potential consequences on biopsychosocial development processes, morality, identity, context, culture, education and society. Conclusions: The development of consequences in MH is a complex process that is expressed according to evolutionary stage of exposure, AC time and contextual factors.