Borderlands of mental health: Explorations in medical anthropology, psychiatric epidemiology and health systems research in Afghanistan and Burundi

Many areas of the globe today face continuous armed conflict, with more and more populations caught in the crossfire. This has been true in both Afghanistan and Burundi where populations have to cope with the psychological and social effects of ongoing collective violence. While living and working in these countries, the author conducted research on the impact of these complex humanitarian emergencies on mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, and on ways to mitigate these impacts. His findings as published in this PhD thesis are based on the following questions:
1. How do people living in complex humanitarian emergencies conceptualise problems of mental health and wellbeing, and seek help for these issues?
2. How can mental health problems within complex humanitarian emergencies be adequately measured?
3. How can functional systems able to address mental health and psychosocial problems within complex humanitarian emergencies be developed?
Answering these central questions requires the use of a wide range of research techniques and draws from various academic disciplines, such as cultural anthropology, mental health epidemiology and health systems research. The twelve chapters of this book all delve into specific aspects related to these central questions. Taken together, this kaleidoscopic range of topics and perspectives provide the reader with invaluable insights into the emerging field of global mental health within complex humanitarian emergencies.