Differential outcomes: early marriage, marital identity and mental health of displaced female youth in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq

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ABSTRACT Little is known about the mental health and well-being outcomesfor females that marry under-age in conflict and displacement settings. Even less is known about how such outcomes differ based on marital experience and marital identity. To explore these gaps and relationships empirically, a cohort of 63 female youth between the ages of 14 and 24 was followed for 27 months using predominantly qualitative and participatory methods. The sample was comprised of Syrian refugees, internally displaced Yazidis, and conflict-affected Iraqi Arabs in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Results indicate that regardless of marital status, female youth experienced a high number of traumatic events stemming from the conflict, family, and community, which significantly impacted their mental health and well-being. This was further impacted by the on-going stressors of living with gender inequality, deprivation and in displacement. Marital identities led to differential mental health and well-being outcomes. Females that married early had poor outcomes if they experienced abuse or if they had been forcibly married. Divorced and widowed female youth had uniformly very high levels of psychological distress, as did those who were unmarried and living with disabilities. Female youth who showed the most positive mental health and well-being outcomes were unmarried, and actively pursuing their educational and career aspirations with the support of their families. At the same time, married youth that had expanded their opportunities (economic, social, movement, educational, legal status) through their marriages also reported positive mental health. Findings indicate that Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Services (MHPSS) are urgently needed for female youth in conflict and displacement, and that these services should take into account marital identity. Findings also indicate that the relationship between conflict, early marriage, and mental health is not unidimensional and requires a more subtle and nuanced analysis by key stakeholders in order to design appropriate and effective interventions.