THE IMPACT OF THE GULF ARMED CONFLICT ON THE HEALTH AND BEHAVIOR OF KUWAITI CHILDREN

This study deals with the psychological reactions of Kuwaiti children to war-related stresses in the early period of the Gulf crisis followi ng the summer 1990 Iraqi invasion af Kuwait. A sample of 106 children was drawn from Kuwaiti displaced families and a comparable control sam ple was obtained from Saudi families in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An inter view checklist of symptoms of physical and psychological distress was administered to the index child and a female key informant in each hou sehold of cases and controls. Most Kuwaiti children were exposed to un pleasant war experiences. It was found that Kuwaiti children exhibited a substantially greater degree of dysfunctional social and emotional behaviour. The types of adverse behaviours were a function of the chil d's age, sex and experience of aggression. The findings support the no tion that a negative relationship exists between armed conflict and th e health and behaviour of the children. The complex needs of children exposed to violence require professionals to seek ways of combining ps ychodynamic interventions and relief programmes.