Youth Do All Such Things to Survive Here: A Qualitative Study of Challenges Facing War-Affected Youth in Sierra Leone

More than 13 years after the end of civil war in Sierra Leone, the lives of youth remain deeply disrupted. This study used the qualitative methodology of free listing among youth and adult caregivers in Sierra Leone to understand the problems facing war-affected youth six and eight years after the cessation of civil war (N = 174). Participants identified 41 unique problems, of which only 6 were directly related to war and war-related trauma. Living standards and shelter, poverty and lack of money, and lack of jobs were the most frequently identified problems, highlighting the salience of basic needs among war-affected youth. These findings illustrate the importance of identifying and attending to war-affected youths' own views of the problems they face. If researchers and practitioners impose outside perspectives on the challenges of war-affected youth, they may miss the more holistic perspective that emerges in youth's own expressed views regarding well-being.