Publications

Findings from the World Mental Health surveys of civil violence exposure and its association with subsequent onset and persistence of mental disorders

June 2023
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William Axinn (University of Michigan), Ronny Bruffaerts (Universitair Psychiatrisch Centrum KU Leuven), Timothy Kessler (Harvard Medical School), et al.

Abstract

Importance 
Understanding the association of civil violence with mental disorders is important for developing effective postconflict recovery policies.

Objective 
To estimate the association between exposure to civil violence and the subsequent onset and persistence of common mental disorders (in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition [DSM-IV]) in representative surveys of civilians from countries that have experienced civil violence since World War II.

Design, Setting, and Participants 
This study used data from cross-sectional World Health Organization World Mental Health (WMH) surveys administered to households between February 5, 2001, and January 5, 2022, in 7 countries that experienced periods of civil violence after World War II (Argentina, Colombia, Lebanon, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Peru, and South Africa). Data from respondents in other WMH surveys who immigrated from countries with civil violence in Africa and Latin America were also included. Representative samples comprised adults (aged ≥18 years) from eligible countries. Data analysis was performed from February 10 to 13, 2023.