Influence of Traumatization and Category of “Biafran– Nigerian” Civil War Veterans on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among War Survivors
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The study examine the long lasting effect of traumatization (Nigeria-Biafra war zone combat
trauma) as well as recurrent flooding of traumatic events (ethnic conflict, religious conflict and
political conflict) in Biafra “pogrom” survivors. Seventy six Biafran war survivors made up of
18(23.68%) disabled (wounded) combatant Biafran war veterans at Orji township, 30(39.47%) were
combatant war survivors and 28(36.85%) were non-combatant war survivors from Anambra and
Enugu marginalized cities in Nigeria. The Los Angles symptom checklist (King, Leskin, Foy and
David, 1995) was used to assess their levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There were
significant differences in the group's experience of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The
disabled combatants Biafran war survivors had significantly high experience of PTSD than the
combatant and non-combatant Biafran war veterans. The combatant war veterans that had
experienced intense ethnic, political or religious conflict following the Biafran war had significantly
high PTSD than those that had not. One possible implication of this finding is that episodic or
enduring posttraumatic stress disorders can still afflict survivors leading to psychological
impairments on the individual long after the initial onset of the traumatic event. Subsequent
experience of extreme stress disorder reinforces the PTSD sequels in a survivor. The psychologist,
Nigerian government, the multinational humanitarian organizations, and other mental health stake
holders are to respond to the findings by providing psychotherapy and psychological rehabilitation
to these survivors.
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H Social Sciences (General)