Trauma severe for Iraqi childrenStudy: In Baghdad, 70% showing signsBAGHDAD — About 70% of primary school students in a Baghdad neighborhood suffer symptoms of trauma-related stress such as bed-wetting or stuttering, according to a survey by the Iraqi Ministry of Health.
The survey of about 2,500 youngsters is the most comprehensive look at how the war is affecting Iraqi children, said Iraq's national mental health adviser and author of the study, Mohammed Al-Aboudi.
"The fighting is happening in the streets in front of our houses and schools," Al-Aboudi said. "This is very difficult for the children to adapt to."
The study is to be released next month. Al-Aboudi discussed the findings with USA TODAY.
Many Iraqi children have to pass dead bodies on the street as they walk to school in the morning, according to a separate report last week by the International Red Cross. Others have seen relatives killed or have been injured in mortar or bomb attacks.
"Some of these children are suffering one trauma after another, and it's severely damaging their development," said Said Al-Hashimi, a psychiatrist who teaches at Mustansiriya Medical School and runs a private clinic in west Baghdad. "We're not certain what will become of the next generation, even if there is peace one day," Al-Hashimi said.
The study was conducted last October in the Sha'ab district of northern Baghdad. The low- to middle-income neighborhood is inhabited by a mix of Shiites and Sunni Arabs. Al-Aboudi said he believes the sample was broadly representative of conditions throughout the capital.
In the study, schoolteachers were asked to determine whether randomly selected students showed any of 10 symptoms identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as signs of trauma. Other symptoms included voluntary muteness, declining performance in school or an increase in aggressive behavior.
The teachers received training from Iraqi psychologists on how to identify and help students cope with trauma-related stress, Al-Aboudi said.
The study "shows the impact of the violence and insecurity on the children and on children's mental health," said Naeema Al-Gasseer, the Iraqi representative of the WHO. "They have fear every day."
The Iraqi government is aware of the problem but largely unequipped to address it, said Ali al-Dabbagh, a government spokesman. "Until we have proper security in Baghdad, there's not much we can do to help these children," al-Dabbagh said in Washington.
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3 comments:
I'd heard about this report some time back. It was televised because I remember the faces of the children who were interviewed. They now have chronic PTSD.
You know what I wonder? I wonder if the US in its infinite wisdom has set aside funding to help those kids to get treatment, to ever have normal lives?
Acht. What am I thinking?
Of course not!
Peace,
~Chani
One of the most distressing stories that I've seen coming out of Iraq in recent months was the story on ABC News about a 12 year old boy who was terribly traumatized after finding his own father's mutilated body in the street near his home. Months later, the crew reported that donations from viewers has enabled this boy to get counseling and that he was starting to heal.
That's one little boy.
Imagine what we have created by starting this war. Imagine the extent to which we have damaged a future generation by our foolhearty, thoughtless, mindless adventure there. We'll be paying for this in more ways than one for a long time.
That's a good story, but here's me, preaching hope and compassion out of one side of my mouth, and about to make the most cynical of comments: Was it true? What kind of counseling? Was he removed from his country for it (which would bring about its own kind of trauma)?
Yeah, our tax dollars have created this horrible mess, and for NOTHING. It's mind-boggling.
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