Descriptive Characterization of Psycho-Trauma, Psychological Distress, and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder among Children and Adolescent Internally Displaced Persons in Kaduna, Nigeria

Abstract

BackgroundA postelection violent conflict in Kaduna resulted in 800 deaths and 65,000 displaced people leading to setting up of camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs). We set out to determine the prevalence and pattern of psycho-traumatic stressful life events, psychological distress, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among child/adolescents IDPs.MethodsA descriptive cross-sectional study of 73 child/adolescent IDPs were selected by total sampling. Stressful life event checklist measured conflict-related trauma and reaction of adolescents to traumatic stress (RATS) measured post-trauma reaction of children/adolescents. Hopkins Symptoms Checklist 37 for Adolescents measured psychological distress associated with trauma. Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children was used for diagnosis of PTSD.ResultsOf 73 respondents, 3 (4.1%) had probable PTSD, 2 (2.7%) had definitive PTSD, and mean score of the child/adolescent IDPs on HSCL-37A and RATS was 44.7 (SD = 6.3) and 31.9 (SD = 5.7), respectively. Most frequently occurring psychological distress among female participants was suddenly scared for no reason 7 (19.5%) and becoming angry easily and feeling fearful 5 (13.9%). The average score for female participants were higher than that for males on depressive and anxiety subscale of HSCL-37A.ConclusionWe concluded that children/adolescent IDPs were exposed to psycho-trauma following postelection violent conflict and developed psychological distress. However, the low prevalence of psychological distress and PTSD suggested that living with parents and psychosocial intervention provided could have led to much lower morbidity.

Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms among trauma-exposed adolescents from low- and middle-income countries

“…There are also some differences comparing our data to previous studies with adolescents from the countries included here. For example, PTSD rates found in different Nigerian regions ranged between 2.4 and 9.9% [ 24 , 32 ], while in Brazilian regions between 2.3 and 12.4% [ 33 , 34 ]. In an Indonesian sample, 22.4% of adolescents had PTSD symptoms after a tsunami [ 35 ].…”

“…Of particular importance here are collective events such as war trauma, armed conflicts or natural disasters collectively affecting included regions and populations. Fourth, the differences may be due to using different instruments [ 35 ] or semi-structured and diagnostic interviews [ 32 , 33 ].…”

Prevalence and factors associated with PTSD among female urban slum dwellers in Ibadan, Nigeria: a cross-sectional study

“…In Nigeria, where historically and currently there have been a wide range of TE and the prevalence of PTSD is thought to range widely between 2.7 and 66.7% [ 43 – 46 ]. Though reasons for such wide range variation in prevalence of PTSD are not known, it is possible that the use of varying study designs, tools and samples studied may have influenced this variation [ 47 ].…”

“…Though reasons for such wide range variation in prevalence of PTSD are not known, it is possible that the use of varying study designs, tools and samples studied may have influenced this variation [ 47 ]. For example the cross-sectional study reported by Sheikh et al reported a PTSD prevalence of 6.8%, while the case control study of Asuquo et al reported a prevalence of 41.3% [ 43 , 45 ]. Predictors of PTSD in Nigeria include a wide spectrum of events e.g.…”

“…Predictors of PTSD in Nigeria include a wide spectrum of events e.g. political and ethno-religious violence to road traffic accidents [ 43 – 46 , 48 ]. However, slum environments tend to be associated with a greater number of TE, therefore the risk of developing PTSD in such settings may be higher [ 49 – 51 ].…”