title: Dealing with the consequences of war: resources of formerly recruited and non-recruited youth in northern Uganda.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article explores resources that help formerly recruited young people in dealing with war-related adversity and subsequent challenges, hence fostering their resilience.
  
  
  METHODS
  Self-reports on pertinent resources were collected from 1,008 northern Ugandan youth, of whom 330 had formerly been recruited by the Lord's Resistance Army. Based on the conceptual framework developed by the Psychosocial Working Group, the reported resources were thematically clustered and quantitatively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study identified a range of human, social, and cultural resources, with little difference between groups. Religious beliefs, social support, and mental health resources were most frequently reported by former child soldiers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results reveal a multitude of resources and suggest that it is important to build on these resources in interventions that aim to support former child soldiers in the aftermath of armed conflict.
authors: Department of Special Education/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. Electronic address: Sofie.Vindevogel@UGent.be.
authors: Sofie
authors: S
authors: Vindevogel
authors: Program on Forced Migration and Health, Department of Clinical Population and Family Health, Columbia University, New York, New York.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Wessells
authors: Department of Experimental, Clinical, and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Maarten
authors: M
authors: De Schryver
authors: Department of Special Education/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Eric
authors: E
authors: Broekaert
authors: Department of Social Welfare Studies/Centre for Children in Vulnerable Situations, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.
authors: Ilse
authors: I
authors: Derluyn
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012944:Social Support; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014454:Uganda; D014857:Warfare; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Child soldiers; Coping; Resilience; Resources; War-affected youth