#guerre #violence et #santé_mentale : le cas de #Timor-Leste
▻http://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(14)70238-4/fulltext?rss=yes
What effect does such a prolonged period of extreme violence and instability have on the mental wellbeing of the affected population? In the case of Timor-Leste, a remarkable resilience was revealed. A study done in 2004 showed a relatively low prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and severe distress compared with other conflict-affected regions. Why might this be and would it be sustained in the long term in a country still struggling with poverty and underlying tensions? Derrick Silove and colleagues’ Article in this month’s issue shows clearly that this apparent early resilience was fragile. Coming just 2 years after Timor-Leste was declared independent, the early findings, also by Silove’s team, seem to have been the product of an “initial sense of optimism” within the population. The current follow-up survey, done in 2010—11, revealed a seven-fold increase in PTSD and a three-fold increase in severe distress.
The findings underscore the crucial need for longitudinal data in post-conflict settings.