Trauma Cases during the Commemoration Period of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda

Abstract

Introduction: Trauma-related crises are still a national public health concern due to Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. Thus, this research aimed to assess the emotional crisis and trauma cases in the commemoration period, contributing factors among study participants, coping strategies, and existing provided interventions during Kwibuka 24 (2018). 

Methods: The study was conducted countrywide across all hospitals reporting mental health interventions provided to people experiencing an emotional crisis and trauma cases during Kwibuka 24. A total of 611 respondents were included in this study, and we used a semi-structured questionnaire for data collection. 

Results: Of all respondents, 92% were female, and 8% were male. 65% of the respondents indicated that they experienced trauma symptoms after the commemoration period. From 1994 during the genocide against the Tutsi, most respondents (47%) got traumatized 24 times, while it was 18 times for the past 5 years during the commemoration period. 

The majority (67%) of respondents indicated that they got all the symptoms, namely; excessive anxiety, excessive crying and sadness, unconsciousness/not knowing what is happening to them, hypervigilance, loneliness, flashbacks, numbing, being agitated, reviviscence and headache during the commemoration period. Most respondents (59.1%) indicated that poor living conditions contributed to trauma. 

Conclusion: The findings showed that trauma cases were more prevalent among female genocide survivors, with poverty as the leading contributing factor and commemoration events as triggers.