Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors Among Internally Displaced People in South Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Derebe Madoro; Habtamu Kerebih; Yodit Habtamu; Meseret G/Tsadik; Hirbaye Mokona; Alemayehu Molla; Tirusew Wondie; Kalkidan Yohannes

doi:10.2147/NDT.S267307

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Factors Among Internally Displaced People in South Ethiopia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat. 2020 Oct 7:16:2317-2326. doi: 10.2147/NDT.S267307. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Derebe Madoro¹, Habtamu Kerebih², Yodit Habtamu³, Meseret G/Tsadik³, Hirbaye Mokona¹, Alemayehu Molla¹, Tirusew Wondie¹, Kalkidan Yohannes¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dilla University, Dilla, Ethiopia.
² Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gonidar, Ethiopia.
³ Research and Training Department, Amanuel Mental Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

Background: Displaced people experience different traumatic events. This can have serious and long-lasting consequences in terms of physical and mental health outcome. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most frequent mental disorder following traumatic exposure. In 2018 Ethiopia saw the highest number of internal displacement, despite this, less attention has been given to mental health among internally displaced people in the country. This study aims to determine the estimated prevalence and associated factors of PTSD among internally displaced people in the Gede'o zone, south Ethiopia.

Participants and methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted between 1 and 30, May 2019 among 636 participants, who were selected using a simple random sampling technique. PTSD was measured by the Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). The association between outcome and independent variables was identified by bi-variable and multivariate logistic regression. Finally, variables with P-value less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant at 95% CI.

Results: A total of 625 participants were interviewed with a response rate of 98.3%. The estimated prevalence of PTSD was 58.4% with 95% CI 55 to 61.9. In the multivariate logistic regression, being female (AOR=2.4, 95% CI 1.6 to 3.4), depression (AOR=2.6, 95% CI 1.2 to 3.9), displaced more than once (AOR=3.7, 95% CI 2.4 to 5.8), destruction of personal property (AOR=1.6, 95% CI 1.04 to 2.44), witness the murder of family (AOR=2, 95% CI 1.2, 3.9), and cumulative trauma (AOR=4, 95% CI 1.7 to 9.6) were significantly associated factors.

Conclusion: In the current study, the estimated prevalence of PTSD was high. Ministry of health should plan routine screening and management of PTSD, depression and linking with available mental health service is recommended.

Keywords: Ethiopia; displacement; internal; post-traumatic stress disorder; PTSD.