Mental Disorders and Their Determinants among Internally Displaced Persons: A Review of Three States in North-Central Nigeria

Abstract

This investigation assessed the prevalence and determinants of common mental health issues among residents of internally displaced persons' camps in Benue, Nasarawa, and Plateau States, North-Central Nigeria, with an emphasis on socio-demographic attributes and the prevalence, patterns, and determinants of mental health disorders. A multistage sampling approach incorporating proportional allocation yielded 829 participants from selected camps in these three North-Central states, which bear the greatest IDP burden. Data were collected via interviewer-administered tools, including a structured socio-demographic questionnaire, the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. Descriptive analyses employed means and standard deviations, while multivariate analysis of covariance evaluated associations among socio-demographic factors, displacement-related stressors, and mental health outcomes. The results indicate a substantial prevalence of mental health disorders among IDPs, wherein 68.7% manifested anxiety symptoms, 59.8% depressive symptoms, and 36.1% trauma-related symptoms. Females, married and widowed individuals, and those with lower educational attainment were more likely to exhibit elevated symptom scores. Socio-demographic variables, namely sex, marital status, age, and education, significantly affected the prevalence and patterns of mental health disorders. Furthermore, exposure to displacement-related stressors was significantly associated with psychological distress, F = 21.45, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.072. This study revealed high levels of anxiety, depression and PTSD as well as a significant association between certain behavioural, socio-demographic, and environmental factors and mental health outcomes among residents of IDP camps. It recommends the implementation of integrated mental health services, gender-responsive psychosocial support, and trauma-informed counselling interventions.