Mental health and psychosocial service provision for adolescent girls in post-conflict settings: literature review

Evidence from both developed and developing countries indicates that mental illness is becoming increasingly common with one in four individuals expected to experience one or more mental disorders during their lifetime (WHO, 2001). Yet in many of these countries mental health issues tend to be of low priority, relevant legislation is either absent or outdated, funding is scarce, training of professional staff is inadequate, services are limited and provided through few centralised institutions, public awareness is often low with rural communities resorting to traditional healers, and stigma and discrimination continue to be widespread and contribute to poor outcomes (WHO, 2001). This literature review looks into the methodologies and recent developments in our understanding of mental health and psychosocial service provision for adolescent girls in post-conflict settings.