ASSESSING THE MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL BURDENS OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED CHILDREN IN DAMARE IDP CAMP, ADAMAWA STATE, NIGERIA.

Abstract

Children in North-Eastern Nigeria have endured prolonged exposure to armed conflict since 2009 due to the activities of the extremist group Boko Haram. This ongoing conflict has a direct and adverse impact on the development of children in North-Eastern Nigeria. This phenomenological study explored the mental health and psychosocial burdens experienced by internally displaced children due to the Boko Haram insurgency. Eight parents/caregivers of the Internally Displaced children from Damare IDP Camp, Adamawa State, Nigeria were interviewed. Findings revealed profound trauma, grief and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms among children who endured and witnessed extreme violence. High prevalence of flashbacks, emotional numbness, sleep troubles, and poor concentration aligned with research on mental health outcomes of terrorism and disaster exposures. Attacks also severely disrupted education, through destruction of over 1500 schools, fears undermining attendance and declining academic capacity amidst grief over dead peers. The available coping and support services within the IDP camp are minimally provided by the Government, Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and vitally, religious groups. Multiple barriers persist around affordability, transport, understaffing, stigmatization, and misconceptions about mental illness treatment. Urgent action is imperative to aid recovery and resilience among vulnerable displaced children facing lasting psychological scars. Recommendations include improving camp infrastructure, eliminating service fees, rebuilding bombed schools, equipping community workers for basic cognitive interventions, increasing mental health outreach and medication access, sponsoring accelerated learning programs, reducing stigma via collaborating with religious leaders, and advancing research on sociocultural dimensions influencing displaced children’s trauma within this context.