Mental Health Services Absent for Traumatized South Sudanese
August 21, 2012
South Sudan emerged as a nation in July 2011 after almost five decades of civil war with the north. But despite its bloody history, the country does not have a single psychiatrist and no option but to sedate or imprison the masses suffering from post-war trauma.
At Juba’s military hospital, the walking wounded often have scars that cannot be seen.
Psychologist Amasi Ibrahim Adam says that she sees many fighters with post-traumatic-stress disorder.
“Most of the cases are suicide. Soldiers shoot themselves with a gun and it’s a problem, because they are ignorant of mental illness and there are no services to console them,” Adam said.
Surgeon and director of the military hospital, Peter Ajak Bullen,says that some patients like William, who was bombed on the front lines in April, are brought in by family members. But he says other traumatized soldiers can often go on the rampage to maim and kill others.
“A soldier getting, shooting his colleagues is common, just common. Shooting in the air, shooting civilians, is common. Being violent to civilians also is common, especially for the soldiers, who have just come out of war. It’s a common scene. In the frontline, when we go and visit, you see that there are so many cases of a colleague shooting a colleague. Just because of depression,” Bullen said.
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