2010 Theme Issue on Violence and Human Rights

Call for Papers

JAMA. 2009;302(22):2487.

Violence and the abuse of human rights can be addressed as cultural, political, social, and criminal justice problems, but they are health problems as well. Survivors of human conflict, whether intimate partner violence or war, may be at risk for a variety of conditions such as mental health disorders, substance abuse, musculoskeletal disorders, reproductive disorders, and sexually transmitted diseases.^1-2 Survivors of terrorism and other forms of mass conflict may be at risk for complications ranging from posttraumatic stress^3-4 and depression² to asthma³ and other chronic conditions to disability.^5-7 It is the complications, which may be acute⁸ or chronic,^5-6 that typically bring survivors to the attention of clinicians. As the complications are identified and treated, often their root causes begin to emerge in the clinical encounter. Consequently, physicians and other health care personnel may have the opportunity not only to treat the complications but to intervene to promote health and coping and prevent disability and even further abuse.

There are evidence-based interventions to interrupt ongoing violence and reestablish human rights for survivors who have certain specific conditions,^9-10 but in general there is an insufficient number of interventions for individuals and populations at risk for abuse and violence, and insufficient proof of effectiveness for many interventions that do exist. Therefore, we invite manuscripts on the complications and root causes of violence and human rights abuses for a theme issue on violence and human rights, to be published August 4, 2010. We are particularly interested in randomized controlled trials^9-10 of interventions to address the causes and consequences of violence and human rights abuses, but we also welcome observational studies, systematic reviews, and scholarly commentaries. Manuscripts received by March 1, 2010, will have the best chance of consideration for publication in this theme issue. All manuscripts will undergo JAMA's usual rigorous editorial evaluation and peer review. Please follow JAMA's Instructions for Authors¹¹ for manuscript preparation and submission.

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Financial Disclosures: None reported.

Editorials represent the opinions of the authors and JAMA and not those of the American Medical Association.

Author Affiliations: Dr Cole (tbcole@bellsouth.net) is Contributing Editor and Ms Flanagin (annette.flanagin@jama-archives.org) is Managing Deputy Editor, JAMA.

REFERENCES
1. Bonomi AE, Anderson ML, Reid RJ, Rivara FP, Carrell D, Thompson RS. Medical and psychosocial diagnoses in women with a history of intimate partner violence. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(18):1692-1697. FREE FULL TEXT 2. Steel Z, Chey T, Silove D, Marnane C, Bryant RA, van Ommeren M. Association of torture and other potentially traumatic events with mental health outcomes among populations exposed to mass conflict and displacement: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009;302(5):537-549. FREE FULL TEXT 3. Brackbill RM, Hadler JL, DiGrande L; et al. Asthma and posttraumatic stress symptoms 5 to 6 years following exposure to the World Trade Center terrorist attack. JAMA. 2009;302(5):502-516. FREE FULL TEXT 4. Sonis J, Gibson JL, de Jong JTVM, Field NP, Hean S, Komproe I. Probable posttraumatic stress disorder and disability in Cambodia: associations with perceived justice, desire for revenge, and attitudes toward the Khmer Rouge trials. JAMA. 2009;302(5):527-536. FREE FULL TEXT 5. Paras ML, Hassan Murad M, Chen LP; et al. Sexual abuse and lifetime diagnosis of somatic disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA. 2009;302(5):550-561. FREE FULL TEXT 6. Marshall GN, Schell TL, Elliott MN, Berthold SM, Chun C-A. Mental health of Cambodian refugees 2 decades after resettlement in the United States. JAMA. 2005;294(5):571-579. FREE FULL TEXT 7. Lopes Cardozo BL, Bilukha OO, Gotway Crawford CA. Mental health, social functioning, and disability in postwar Afghanistan. JAMA. 2004;292(5):575-584. FREE FULL TEXT 8. Rhodes KV, Levinson W. Interventions for intimate partner violence against women: clinical applications. JAMA. 2003;289(5):601-605. FREE FULL TEXT 9. Bolton P, Bass J, Betancourt T; et al. Interventions for depression symptoms among adolescent survivors of war and displacement in Northern Uganda: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2007;298(5):519-527. FREE FULL TEXT 10. Tol WA, Komproe IH, Susanty D, Jordans MJD, Macy RD, de Jong JTVM. School-based mental health intervention for children affected by political violence in Indonesia: a cluster randomized trial. JAMA. 2008;300(6):655-662. FREE FULL TEXT 11. Instructions for Authors. JAMA. http://www.jama.com/instructions. Accessed November 9, 2009.