The impact of the Gulf armed conflict on the health and behaviour of Kuwaiti children

This study deals with the psychological reactions of Kuwaiti children to war-related stresses in the early period of the Gulf crisis following the summer 1990 Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. A sample of 106 children was drawn from Kuwaiti displaced families and a comparable control sample was obtained from Saudi families in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An interview checklist of symptoms of physical and psychological distress was administered to the index child and a female key informant in each household of cases and controls. Most Kuwaiti children were exposed to unpleasant war experiences. It was found that Kuwaiti children exhibited a substantially greater degree of dysfunctional social and emotional behaviour. The types of adverse behaviours were a function of the child's age, sex and experience of aggression. The findings support the notion that a negative relationship exists between armed conflict and the health and behaviour of the children. The complex needs of children exposed to violence require professionals to seek ways of combining psychodynamic interventions and relief programmes.combat disorders refugees violence war Kuwait

From Clinical Center to Academic Institution: An Example of How to Bring About Educational Change

Background: The usual scenario for change management in the medical education field is an academic institution creating a patient care facility. The opposite change is however rather rare and challenging. There is not much in the medical education literature on experiences of change management that provides sufficient support to readers who are involved in such process of change. Methods: We analyzed the experience of a clinical institution that has changed into an academic one. The methods used were archival analysis and interviews with those involved. The raw data were analyzed using a framework derived from the change management literature. Results: Despite the complex change and the use of a directive change strategy, the change managers׳ strategic thinking and timely use of different change strategies have helped in eliminating the initial change difficulties. The directive change strategy was turned into an advantage that has facilitated quick implementation. Conclusion: A directive change strategy is not always a disadvantageous method leading to chaos in the process of change. The educational change management experience gained by King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences can be considered a model for other clinical institutions changing into academic ones