{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,12]],"date-time":"2026-02-12T08:40:48Z","timestamp":1770885648339,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]],"date-time":"2021-10-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1633910400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Behavioral Sciences"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: Military combat impacts the mental health of veterans and active military personnel. Although various studies, the majority of which are from Westernized countries, have provided insight into how combat causes psychiatric disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety among veterans, there appears to be scant published literature on psychiatric disorders among military personnel in the West African region. It is important to contextually understand the psychiatric disorders among military personnel in this region who may be faced with similar vulnerabilities to their counterparts from Western cultures. (2) Methods: This study follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies were included if they were published in English between January 2010 and January 2021 and assessed mental health problems or psychiatric disorders among soldiers in West Africa. (3) Results: All three included studies were from Nigeria. High prevalence rates of substance and alcohol use were reported. (4) Conclusions: This review highlights the need for more research in this population as well as identifying the intervention needs of the soldiers and their implications.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/bs11100138","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]],"date-time":"2021-10-11T09:16:42Z","timestamp":1633943802000},"page":"138","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":11,"title":["Psychiatric Disorders among the Military in West Africa: A Systematic Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9907-3511","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Winifred","family":"Asare-Doku","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3859-8015","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gordon Maanianu","family":"Donnir","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5638-4814","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kenneth","family":"Ayuurebobi Ae-Ngibise","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"},{"name":"Kintampo Health Research Centre, Kintampo P.O Box 200, Bono East Region, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2610-7378","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jennifer","family":"Peprah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Medicine and Public Health, College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Kofi","family":"Awuviry-Newton","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"African Health and Ageing Research Centre (AHARC), Winneba, Ghana"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Francis","family":"Acquah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Positive Wellness Recovery Centre, Melbourne, VIC 3076, Australia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,10,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"776","DOI":"10.1016\/j.janxdis.2012.06.008","article-title":"Psychiatric disorder and suicide in the military, then and now: Commentary on Frueh and Smith","volume":"26","author":"McNally","year":"2012","journal-title":"J. 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