The psychosocial effects of war on children in Eastern Congo

Whilst armed conflicts keep snowballing all over the world, children are the ones most affected. There is nothing more depraved in the war than the involvement of children in something they do not understand, they do not choose and they do not have the means, practically or mentally, to cope with. The displacement, the loss of their childhood, the torture and the violence they are involved in are potentially harmful to their mental health, compromising their future. War affected children very often suffer from psychological problems, such as depression, PTSD, long term problems related to the coping with the future stressful situations, such as anger and aggressiveness. Unfortunately, there have only been a few studies on this topic. In this paper some approaches are suggested, but a more thorough research ought to be pursued. There is also a short reference made to the child soldiers, as this is a huge problem arising in the developing world, putting in danger a vast population of children. Another problem which has caught our attention is the mental and psychological problems that many children from war zones face due to the massacre of their relatives in the Eastern Congo, DRC.