Bosnian Paternal War Orphans: Mental Health in Postwar Time

Abstract

More research on the medium- and long-term effects of childhood exposure to war, including orphanhood, is needed. We compared 50 orphans 1 who lost their father during the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1992-1995) and 50 age- and sex-matched adolescents from two-parent families during 2011-2012 in terms of sociodemographic characteristics, behavioral/emotional problems, depression, resilience, maternal mental health, and perceived social support. The two groups differed on sociodemographic factors, that is, number of children, family composition, income, school grades, and refugeehood. Paternal war orphans did not differ in terms of adolescent mental health and resilience from their nonorphaned peers, controlling for sociodemographic variables. The mothers of orphans had comparably more posttraumatic psychopathology. As for perceived resources for social support, orphans identified those comparably more often among distant relatives and in the community, that is, religious officials and mental health professionals, and less often among siblings, paternal grandparents, paternal and maternal uncles/aunts, school friends and teachers. Our findings suggest that contextual factors may play an important role in orphans' postwar mental health.