Dr. Verena Ertl - The multi-headed beast: Alcohol Abuse and its Consequences for Affected Individuals and their Families
04.07.2018 (Mi) 18:15 Uhr, Von-Melle-Park 5, Raum 4054 (William Stern-Raum)
Abstract
Despite encouraging advances of global mental health research and practice in conflict-affected populations, the vast majority of studies still focus on a limited range of disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. While being recognized in epidemiological studies with military samples that consistently find elevated rates of substance use disorders (SUDs) in personnel with war-zone exposure, the study of SUDs has largely been neglected in war-affected civilian populations. This is unfortunate because the mismatch between the scale of the problem and the availability of services is larger for SUDs than any other mental health disorder in war-affected societies. Alcohol is certainly the most widely used substance in this context, because it is usually legal and readily available even in regions with ongoing conflict. Consequently high rates of hazardous, harmful, or dependent alcohol use have been reported in conflict-affected men, with fatal consequences for the individuals’ health, but also for their social environment. The talk will use exemplary studies conducted in Northern Uganda to address questions, like: Why are rates of hazardous alcohol use exceptionally high in the context of conflict and violence? What are consequences of consumption for the individual, affected families and societies? Can interventions be adapted successfully across cultures?