Correlates of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders among Adolescent Students in North-Eastern Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often seen following exposure to traumatic events in children and adolescents. The dearth of studies on the correlates of PTSD among adolescents in North-Eastern Nigeria calls for concerns.

Objectives: Hence, this study examined the presence of PTSD among adolescents in North-Eastern Nigeria.

Methods: The study adopts a cross-sectional survey design and multistage sampling techniques were used.  Stratified sampling  technique was used to select the schools into public and private schools, and finally, simple  random sampling was employed to select  480 adolescent students, males 45% and females 55%.

Results: It was found that the prevalence of PTSD among adolescents in  Maiduguri was 19%. Nature of the  traumatic events differs, ranging from bomb blast 41.7%, gunshots 31.3%, witness a killing/seeing a  dead body  7.7%, serious road traffic accidents 10.2%, sudden death of someone 3.5% to others 5%. The trauma has  affected 47.3% of the  adolescent‟s academic performance. 

Conclusions: PTSD is a reoccurring phenomenon in crisis-prone environments; it is therefore  recommended  that mental health programs in the form of psycho-education should be incorporated for adolescent students in  crisis- ravaging environments.