Search results

Orphans in post-conflict settings have unique needs that have not been well-characterized. In post-conflict Liberia, maternal orphans are more likely to be without care than paternal orphans. This study examined the experiences of maternal orphans in Liberia, as they attempted to care for themselves and seek care from others, and the barriers they faced. In-depth interviews were conducted with 75 post-conflict Liberian orphans. We performed a secondary narrative analysis of interview transcripts from all maternal or double orphans (n = 17). We identified similar elements across narratives: traumatic loss, disconnection from family and community, and the desire for a savior. Female high-risk orphans were more likely to have formal substitute caregiving arrangements in which they were living with someone who was a relative or had been selected by a relative. Male orphans more commonly lacked arranged substitute care, but this allowed them to form relationships with substitute caregivers of their choosing. Sex also played a role in the provision of caregiving; substitute care was provided by women. Findings highlighted the syndemic relationship between poverty, violence, transactional sex, trauma, and substance use that traps high-risk Liberian orphans. Interventions are needed to improve access to mental health care, sober communities, housing, and education support. The need to integrate these services into indigenous institutions and address barriers related to stigma is explored.

The Liberian civil wars led to widespread destruction and devastation for its individuals, communities, and economy. However, individuals' subjective trauma experiences and long-term psychological impact remain relatively understudied. This study aims to explore context-specific traumatic events and examine how risk and protective factors combine with traumas to influence trajectories of suffering and recovery over time. We conducted 43 semi-structured interviews with Liberian adults who were present during the Liberian civil wars, and we used line-by-line open coding, thematic analysis, and axial coding to analyze and contextualize the data. Eight key trauma themes emerged: Abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual), Captivity, Combat, Killings, Physical Illness, Resource Loss, Family Separation, and War Environment. The risk and protective factors that were reported as salient were: Age, Biological Sex, Socioeconomic Status, and Community Support. Further, key patterns emerged across interviews that indicated greater risk for long-term suffering: 1) exposure to multiple traumatic events, 2) certain types of traumatic events (like killing of a close family member), and 3) the combination of specific traumatic events and risk and protective factors (like older women witnessing the killing of their children). This study provides culturally relevant information on trauma, suffering, and resilience in post-conflict Liberia, with the aim of guiding the development of screening tools and targeted psychological interventions that improve well-being over time.

Creating selection criteria and guidelines, to aid identification of IMI datasets with the potential to generate high societal impact upon FAIRification, is an important goal of FAIRplus. This deliverable report describes the process put in place to identify, evaluate and select projects. Two thirds of projects to be addressed by FAIRplus will cover societal priorities of H2020, namely; 1) promoting healthy ageing[1]; 2) addressing chronic diseases; 3) neurodegenerative diseases and 4) emergence of antibiotic resistance. In addition, we have identified cross-cutting projects "Cross" which provide tools such as cell lines, biomarkers and animal models, which enable research progression in the primary priority areas. In the first period, some 25 projects have been identified based on the application of the criteria and discussions are ongoing with these consortia representatives in order to provide a steady flow of datasets into FAIRplus. [1] see http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/horizon2020/en/h2020-section/health-demographic-change-and-wellbeing ; This project has received funding from the Innovative Medicines Initiative 2 Joint Undertaking under grant agreement No. 802750. This Joint Undertaking receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation and EFPIA companies.