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Volume 5
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10.3390/adolescents5030042
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

The Experience of Abuse and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents in a Post-Conflict Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study

by
Natalie Durbeej
1,†,
Yusuf Abdi Hared
2,3,*,†,
Abdulwahab Mubarik Ahmed
2,
Hayat Mohamed Hassan
2,
Reneé Flacking
1,
Junia Joffer
4,
Ann Rudman
1 and
Fatumo Osman
1,2
1
Child Health and Parenting (CHAP), Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Uppsala University, 751 23 Uppsala, Sweden
2
School of Health and Welfare, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden
3
College of Health Sciences, Amoud University, Borama 25263, Somaliland
4
Center for Clinical Research Dalarna, Uppsala University, 791 82 Uppsala, Sweden
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Adolescents 2025, 5(3), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030042
Submission received: 31 May 2025 / Revised: 24 July 2025 / Accepted: 1 August 2025 / Published: 8 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Adolescent Health and Mental Health)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the relationship between the experience of abuse and depressive symptoms among children and adolescents in a post-conflict setting while controlling for perceived support and individual background factors. This cross-sectional study was conducted in the post-conflict setting of Borama, Somaliland. A total of 645 adolescents that attended upper primary and lower secondary schools were included. The exposure variables were (a) experience of physical abuse, (b) experience of psychological abuse, and (c) experience of either or both forms of abuse. The outcome was depressive symptoms as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. Physical and psychological abuse were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (B = 2.74, p < 0.001 and B = 1.62, p < 0.001, respectively). The girls had higher levels of depressive symptoms than the boys (B = 0.71, p = 0.004). Moreover, a greater age was associated with higher levels of symptoms (B = 0.17, p = 0.033). Higher social support levels were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms (B = −0.08, p = 0.001). Our findings suggest that interventions providing social support to adolescents who experience abuse may be beneficial in reducing depressive symptoms.
Keywords: adolescents; abuse; depression; social support adolescents; abuse; depression; social support

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MDPI and ACS Style

Durbeej, N.; Hared, Y.A.; Ahmed, A.M.; Hassan, H.M.; Flacking, R.; Joffer, J.; Rudman, A.; Osman, F. The Experience of Abuse and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents in a Post-Conflict Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study. Adolescents 2025, 5, 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030042

AMA Style

Durbeej N, Hared YA, Ahmed AM, Hassan HM, Flacking R, Joffer J, Rudman A, Osman F. The Experience of Abuse and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents in a Post-Conflict Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study. Adolescents. 2025; 5(3):42. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030042

Chicago/Turabian Style

Durbeej, Natalie, Yusuf Abdi Hared, Abdulwahab Mubarik Ahmed, Hayat Mohamed Hassan, Reneé Flacking, Junia Joffer, Ann Rudman, and Fatumo Osman. 2025. "The Experience of Abuse and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents in a Post-Conflict Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study" Adolescents 5, no. 3: 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030042

APA Style

Durbeej, N., Hared, Y. A., Ahmed, A. M., Hassan, H. M., Flacking, R., Joffer, J., Rudman, A., & Osman, F. (2025). The Experience of Abuse and Depressive Symptoms Among Adolescents in a Post-Conflict Setting: A Cross-Sectional Study. Adolescents, 5(3), 42. https://doi.org/10.3390/adolescents5030042

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