Prevalence of Post-traumatic stress disorder among the internally displaced persons aged 13-17 years involved in the 2007 Post Election Violence in Kenya

Abstract

Introduction: Events that followed the disputed 2007 presidential election in Kenya left thousands of Kenyans from many parts of the country displaced. These events could result among other psychiatric conditions, into Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). So far there is no known study to ascertain the PTSD prevalence rate among the rDPs aged between 13-17 years in Kenya. Studies done in similar post conflict settings in other countries indicate that this group is highly vulnerable to the development of PTSD (2,3,4,5). Since the extent of PTSD and other psychological disorders among this group remain unknown there was need for this study so that an intervention program can be planned if necessary. Study Objective: The study objective was to establish the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among the rDPs aged 13-17years within Molo District in the Rift Valley province and also determine the risk factors while describing their social demographic profiles. Methodology: This was a cross sectional descriptive survey with 300 participants, who were purposefully sampled. Three research instruments were used: A Social Demographic Profile, Traumatic Events Scale, and Children's Reaction to Traumatic Events Scale-Revised (CRTES-R) [6]. Ethical consideration and consent were addressed according to international research procedure and protocol. The study approval was sought from the relevant authorities which included Ethics Committee-Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). Authority and permit were sought from the Ministry of Science and Technology, District Commissioner-Molo, and District Education Officer- Molo respectively. The collected data was analyzed by the use of SPSS version 12, and the results presented in figures, tables and charts. Results: Among the 300 study participants interviewed, the prevalence of PTSD was found to be 38%. This was statistically the same with that of other studies done in other countries (44%). The study variables that were significantly associated with PTSD were; age, gender, religious affiliation, level of education, family socio- economic level and number of traumatic events with p < 0.05. The participants found having PTSD were referred to the local biopsychosocial care givers within the local Primary Health Care Systems. Limitations: The limitations of this study included; lack of adequate time and money, language barrier and snow balling data sampling method. Conclusion and Recommendation: Resettlement should include enhanced mental health services. Special focus should be on adolescent aged 13-17 years as PTSD like any other psychiatric condition can interfere with their secondary normal growth and maturation as well as socio occupational adjustments. Effective and sustainable community based reconciliation mechanism should be applied.