Kimberly Howe publishes on early marriage and mental health
Children and adolescents who have experienced conflict, displacement, and humanitarian crises are at increased risk for developing negative mental health outcomes.
However, existing evidence does not clearly show how conflict and displacement, combined with the experience of early marriage, influence the mental health and well-being trajectories of young brides.
In a study published in Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies, Feinstein Research Director Kimberly Howe followed a cohort of 63 female youth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq for 27 months. The cohort was comprised of Syrian refugees, displaced and returned Yazidis, and conflict-affected Iraqi Arabs between the ages of 14 and 24.
The findings revealed that conflict, displacement, and marital identity significantly impacted the participants’ mental health and well-being. Divorced, widowed, and unmarried disabled youth reported the worst mental health outcomes, whereas unmarried youth living without disabilities experienced better well-being.
This study highlights the importance of developing MHPSS services based on the lived experience of those who have experienced early marriage, prioritizing interventions for early marriage conditions that most frequently lead to negative outcomes.
