Prevalence and associated factors of Depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among internally displaced children in Nigeria.

BACKGROUND

Internally displaced children are at risk of not receiving the general health services they require, since they have health needs that are unique to those of adults. Therefore, the first step in designing intervention programs for them is to determine their mental health status.

OBJECTIVES

This study determined the relationship of sociodemographic factors with the prevalence of depression and PTSD among internally displaced children in Nigeria.

METHODS

A descriptive correlational research design was adopted for the study using adapted versions of the Child PTSD Symptom Scale (CPSS) and the child version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale - RCADS (Depression Subscale). Frequency, percentage, binary logistic regression and chi-square were used for data analysis.

RESULTS

Findings showed that the participants (n=474) comprised 55.3% male and 44.7% female children, with 85.9% having a low household income. The prevalence rate of PTSD and depression among displaced children was 79.7% and 84.8%, respectively. More than a third (47.5%) of the children were severely depressed, with more male (28.2%) than female children (21.2%) having moderately severe depression. A greater proportion of male (39.3%) than female (30.7%) children had severe PTSD. Functional impairment due to PTSD was found in 90.7% of the children. At a 95% confidence interval, age and gender did not significantly predict the prevalence of depression and PTSD among internally displaced children in Nigeria (OR < 1 and P > 0.05). At p<0.05, demographic characteristics of the children, such as parents' education, household size and housing size, correlated significantly with the prevalence of PTSD and depression among them.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings of this study suggest a high prevalence of depression and PTSD among displaced children in Nigeria and therefore call for the government to make available counselling and rehabilitation services to all IDPs, especially the children, to improve their mental health.