The Consumption of Khat and Other Drugs in Somali Combatants: A Cross-Sectional Study

Having interviewed military personnel in Somali, Michael Odenwald and colleagues conclude that drug-related problems, mainly relating to the use of khat, have reached proportions formerly unknown to the country

Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Somali ex-combatants: A validation study

In Somalia, a large number of active and former combatants are affected by psychological problems such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), that impairs their ability to re-integrate into civilian life. This study reports on development and validation of a screening tool for PTSD in Somali language with a sample of ex-combatants.Waxaa Soomaaliya ka jira tiro badan oo askartii hore ah oo dhimirka wax ka gaaray, sida cudurka la yiraahdo "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)", kaaso isbeddel ku sameeyo qofka dad ladhaqankiisa. Darasaadkanina wuxuu horumarinayaa qalabka baaritaanka caafimaadka cudurka DPTS oo loo adeegsanayo Af-soomaaliga.In Somalia, un gran numero di soldati o ex-soldati sono affetti da problemi psicologici come il Disturbo Post-Traumatico da Stress (DPTS), che altera la capacità di re-integrarsi nella vita civile. Questo studio riporta sullo sviluppo di uno strumento di screening per il DPTS in lingua somala

Khat use as risk factor for psychotic disorders: A cross-sectional and case-control study in Somalia

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence of khat-induced psychotic disorders in East African countries, where the chewing of khat leaves is common. Its main psycho-active component cathinone produces effects similar to those of amphetamine. We aimed to explore the prevalence of psychotic disorders among the general population and the association between khat use and psychotic symptoms. METHODS: In an epidemiological household assessment in the city of Hargeisa, North-West Somalia, trained local interviewers screened 4,854 randomly selected persons from among the general population for disability due to severe mental problems. The identified cases were interviewed based on a structured interview and compared to healthy matched controls. Psychotic symptoms were assessed using the items of the WHO Composite International Diagnostic Interview and quantified with the Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale. Statistical testing included Student's t-test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Local interviewers found that rates of severe disability due to mental disorders were 8.4% among males (above the age of 12) and differed according to war experiences (no war experience: 3.2%; civilian war survivors: 8.0%; ex-combatants: 15.9%). The clinical interview verified that in 83% of positive screening cases psychotic symptoms were the most prominent manifestations of psychiatric illness. On average, cases with psychotic symptoms had started to use khat earlier in life than matched controls and had been using khat 8.6 years before positive symptoms emerged. In most cases with psychotic symptoms, a pattern of binge use (> two 'bundles' per day) preceded the onset of psychotic symptoms, in contrast to controls of the same age. We found significant correlations between variables of khat consumption and clinical scales (0.35 to 0.50; p < 0.05), and between the age of onset of khat chewing and symptom onset (0.70; p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Evidence indicates a relationship between the consumption of khat and the onset of psychotic symptoms among the male population, whereby not the khat intake per se but rather early onset and excessive khat chewing seemed to be related to psychotic symptoms. The khat problem must be addressed by means other than prohibition, given the widespread use and its role in Somali culture

Un serpent nouveau du genre Boaedon Duméril, Bibron & Duméril, 1854 (Squamata : Lamprophiidae) dans la région des Grands Lacs africains

International audienceA new snake species from the genus Boaedon is described from Kigali, Rwanda. This speciesis clearly distinct molecularly from Boaedon fuliginosus and Boaedon lineatus with whom it was previouslyconfused, as well as other species recently or anciently described in this complex of morphologicallyclose species. Its geographical distribution covers eastern Central Africa in Rwanda, Burundi and theDemocratic Republic of the Congo, as well as Uganda and Tanzania in East Africa.Une espèce nouvelle de couleuvre du genre Boaedon est décrite de Kigali au Rwanda. Cette espèce est nettement distincte moléculairement de Boaedon fuliginosus et de Boaedon lineatus avec qui elle était précédemment confondue, ainsi que des autres espèces récemment ou plus anciennement décrites dans ce complexe d' espèces morphologiquement proches. Sa répartition géographique intéresse l' est de l' Afrique centrale au Rwanda, au Burundi et en République démocratique du Congo, ainsi que l'Ouganda et la Tanzanie en Afrique de l'Est

Challenges of a future reintegration programme in Somalia : outcomes of an assessment on drug abuse, psychological distress and preferences for reintegration assistance

Based on an assessment of over 8000 active militia members and military staff in seven regions of Somalia, this article reports on three groups of respondents who might require special attention in a future Somali Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) program. The assessment revealed distinct preferences concerning future reintegration assistance, according to region, age and gender of the respondents. In the south of Somalia, a large number of young respondents want to return to formal schooling, but they are especially burdened by war-related trauma and exhibit elevated patterns of drug use. Many of the older respondents in the north of Somalia and female respondents throughout of the country prefer monetary support from a future reintegration program. This group might not have realistic expectations about demobilization and the existing modules of reintegration assistance might not meet their specific needs. A third group consisted of respondents with a prior psychological breakdown which had disrupted their every day functioning and who might be at high risk to develop severe psychiatric disorders in the future, as demonstrated in a previous study. The findings suggest that, for planning and implementation of a DDR program, variables such as the expectations, drug use and the psychological stress of individual ex-combatants have to be taken into account

Posttraumatic stress disorder according to DSM-5 and DSM-IV diagnostic criteria : a comparison in a sample of Congolese ex-combatants

Background: Compared to DSM-IV, the criteria for diagnosing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been modified in DSM-5.Objective: The first aim of this study was to examine how these modifications impact rates of PTSD in a sample of Congolese ex-combatants. The second goal of this study was to investigate whether PTSD symptoms were associated with perpetrator-related acts or victim-related traumatic events.Method: Ninety-five male ex-combatants in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were interviewed. Both the DSM-IV and the DSM-5 PTSD symptom criteria were assessed.Results: The DSM-5 symptom criteria yielded a PTSD rate of 50% (n=47), whereas the DSM-IV symptom criteria were met by 44% (n=42). If the DSM-5 would be set as the current “gold standard,” then DSM-IV would have produced more false negatives (8%) than false positives (3%). A minority of participants (19%, n=18) indicated an event during which they were involved as a perpetrator as their most stressful event. Results of a regression analysis (R2=0.40) showed that, after accounting for the number of types of traumatic events, perpetrated violent acts were not associated with the symptom severity of PTSD.Conclusions: The findings demonstrate that more diagnostic cases were produced with the DSM-5 diagnostic rules than were dropped resulting in an increase in PTSD rates compared to the DSM-IV system. The missing association between PTSD symptoms and perpetrated violent acts might be explained by a potential fascinating and excited perception of these acts

Does Perpetrating Violence Damage Mental Health? Differences Between Forcibly Recruited and Voluntary Combatants in DR Congo

Hecker T, Hermenau K, Maedl A, Hinkel H, Schauer M, Elbert T. Does Perpetrating Violence Damage Mental Health? Differences Between Forcibly Recruited and Voluntary Combatants in DR Congo. Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2013;26(1):142-148

Does Perpetrating Violence Damage Mental Health? : Differences Between Forcibly Recruited and Voluntary Combatants in DR Congo

As a consequence of the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), combatants are constantly involved in various forms of violence. Findings concerning the impact of perpetrating violence on mental health are contradictory, ranging from increasing to buffering the risk for mental ill health. The present study investigated the impact of perpetrating violence on mental health. In total, 204 forcibly recruited and voluntary male combatants (mean age = 24.61 years) from different armed groups in the eastern DRC took part in the study. In a semistructured interview, respondents were questioned about appetitive aggression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as self-experienced violence and self-perpetrated violent offending. A multivariate analysis of variance (η2 = .23) revealed that voluntary combatants perpetrated more violent acts (η2 = .06) and showed higher appetitive aggression η2 = .03). A moderated multiple regression analysis (R2 = .20) showed that perpetrating violence was positively related to PTSD in forcibly recruited combatants, but not in voluntary combatants. Thus, perpetrating violence may not necessarily qualify as a traumatic stressor. Further studies might consider assessing the combatant’s perception of committing violent acts

A new blind snake of the genus Letheobia (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) from Rwanda with redescriptions of L. gracilis (Sternfeld, 1910) and L. graueri (Sternfeld, 1912) and the introduction of a non-invasive preparation procedure for scanning electron microscopy in zoology

Dehling, J. Maximilian, Hinkel, Harald H., Ensikat, Hans-Jürgen, Babilon, Kenny, Fischer, Eberhard (2018): A new blind snake of the genus Letheobia (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) from Rwanda with redescriptions of L. gracilis (Sternfeld, 1910) and L. graueri (Sternfeld, 1912) and the introduction of a non-invasive preparation procedure for scanning electron microscopy in zoology. Zootaxa 4378 (4): 480-490, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4378.4.

Screening for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among Somali ex-combatants: A validation study

Abstract Background In Somalia, a large number of active and former combatants are affected by psychological problems such as Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This disorder impairs their ability to re-integrate into civilian life. However, many screening instruments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder used in post-conflict settings have limited validity. Here we report on development and validation of a screening tool for PTSD in Somali language with a sample of ex-combatants. Methods We adapted the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) to reflect linguistic and cultural differences within the Somali community so that local interviewers could be trained to administer the scale. For validation purposes, a randomly selected group of 135 Somali ex-combatants was screened by trained local interviewers; 64 of them were then re-assessed by trained clinical psychologists using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) and the Self-Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20). Results The screening instrument showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .86), convergent validity with the CIDI (sensitivity = .90; specificity = .90) as well as concurrent validity: positive cases showed higher SRQ-20 scores, higher prevalence of psychotic symptoms, and higher levels of intake of the local stimulant drug khat. Compared to a single cut-off score, the multi-criteria scoring, in keeping with the DSM-IV, produced more diagnostic specificity. Conclusion The results provide evidence that our screening instrument is a reliable and valid method to detect PTSD among Somali ex-combatants. A future Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Program in Somalia is recommended to screen for PTSD in order to identify ex-combatants with special psycho-social needs.</p