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15 Mental Health as a Marker for Conflict Transformation: a Study of Social and Economic Factors within the Context of Northern Ireland CHIARA MAGLIACANE1 The aim of this paper is to analyse the perception of mental disorders in post-conflict Northern Ireland. It is argued that mental health in Northern Ireland is related to social and economic factors. Paying particular attention to the phenomenon of residential segregation, the paper suggests a new perspective of conflict analysis considering mental illness as a marker for conflict transformation. Introduction The relationship between conflict and mental disorders has been analysed in detail in recent literature (Tomlinson 2007; Dimitry 2011), where the specific case of postconflict Northern Ireland represents a complex framework which needs further analysis. Influenced by economic and social factors, mental health can be conceived as a legacy of conflict. This article underlines the peculiarities of the prevalence of mental illness in post-conflict Northern Ireland, its relationship with the conflict itself and residential segregation. The prevalence of mental illness is considered in order to influence the changing nature of the Northern Ireland conflict. In fact, insufficient emphasis has been given to mental health as a possible marker for conflict transformation. This paper will show that Northern Ireland has the highest prevalence of Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in comparison with other countries in the world. 1 Chiara Magliacane is an MA candidate in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice. Any errors are the author’s own. The author can be contacted at: [email protected].