The conflict in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been particularly devastating for children and has been typified by high levels of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). In this study, we seek to characterize the patterns and impact of sexual violence on children in the Eastern DRC. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered among a convenience sample of women <18 years of age presenting for post-sexual-violence care at Panzi Hospital in South Kivu, DRC.

BackgroundBeing an immigrant in a high-income country is a risk factor for severe mental ill health. Studies on mental ill health among immigrants have found significant differences in mental health outcome between immigrants from high income countries and low-income countries. Being an asylum seeker or a refugee is also associated with mental ill health.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, exposure to traumatic stressors, and health care utilization were examined in 84 women attending a primary health care clinic in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Somalia-Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale was used in this active warzone to measure symptoms. Nearly all women reported high levels of confrontations with violence, half described being exposed to a potentially traumatizing event. Nearly one third had significant PTSD symptoms.

Mental, neurological, and substance use(MNS) disorders are highly prevalent andare responsible for 14% of the globalburden of disease expressed in disabilityadjustedlife years (DALYs) [1]. Theresources that have been provided incountries to tackle the huge burden areinsufficient, inequitably distributed, andinefficiently used, which results in a largemajority of people with these disordersreceiving no care at all [2–7].