DISPLACED PERSONS, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, THE CONSEQUENCES TO THE PERSON AND TO THE LARGER SOCIETY
Displaced persons are people who have been forced to leave their homes especially because of war or a natural disaster such as earth quakes, flood etc. while the definition of mental health according to the world health organisation means a “State of well- being in which the individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.
Millions of people have been forcefully displaced from their homes in the past decade. The number who seek refuge within their own country as internally displaced person (IDPs) is significantly higher than those who cross the borders as refugees or asylum seekers.
According to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR, 2021). There are approximately 824 million forcibly displaced people worldwide of which 55 million are IDP’s with 48 million resulting from conflict and violence and 7million from disasters. (Internal Displacement Monitoring Center (IDMC) 2020).
In Nigeria, a decade of conflict and crisis caused by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups have affected millions of people and over 2million remain displaced. (International Organisation for Migration (IOM) 2022). The majority of IDP’s settled in self –settled location (Non Government Authorized Sites) and with their host communities. The ever-increasing volume of forcibly displaced persons has stranded humanitarian agencies and host countries, particularly in the realm of health services. As media attention only turns to the latest breaking emergency, little attention is paid to the longer – term mental health and psychological sickness plaguing persons who resettle as refugees.
Approximately 33% of displaced persons will pass through high rates of:
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Anxiety
Depression
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD):
According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), PTSD is defined as a psychiatric disorder in which clients / patients have experienced or witnessed a significant traumatic event. It entails having persistent, recurrent flashbacks of a witnessed trauma. Some stateless persons may have experienced events either in their countries of origin, in their journey to a place as a potential refugee and in settling in a new location.
However, it is important to remember that stress related to a refugee’s current situation can be just as difficult to deal with as those that lead to the flight in the first place. Fazel et al (2005) estimated that of displaced persons resettled in the western countries, about 10% met Post traumatic stress diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
FEATURES OF PTSD INCLUDE:
Re-experiencing of aspects of stressful event:
Which is also called (intrusion) and includes flashbacks, recurrent nightmares and intrusion images or other sensory impression from the event.
Avoidance of reminders:
This involves difficulty in recalling stressful events at will, avoidance of reminders of the event, a feeling of detachment and inability to feel emotion (Numbing).
Hyper arousal:
This involves persistent anxiety, irritability, insomnia and poor concentration. PTSD could bring about maladaptive coping responses among affected stateless persons as persistent aggressive behaviour, excessive use of alcohol or drugs and deliberate self harm and suicide.
Anxiety disorder:
This is another mental health challenge that displaced persons encounter which simply mean the presence of fear or apprehension that is out of proportion to the context of the life situation. Anxiety has long been recognised as a prominent symptom which occurs among displaced persons. Issues of displacement can vary from low to moderate levels of anxiety to more severe mental disorders.
Symptoms of includes:
Fearful Anticipation
Palpitation
Frequent or loose motions.
Poor concentration
Irritability
Insomnia
Headache
Night terror
Menstrual discomfort
Failure of erection etc.
Depression:
Depression refers to either a symptom or a syndrome. As a symptom, it is being sad down in the dumps, listless, joyless, blue.
As a syndrome, it means a particular constellation of symptoms, with the symptoms of depression usually, but not always, being present and prominent. Although at some point, stateless persons have symptoms of depression, only few people have the syndrome and when they do, it is most often called MAJOR DEPRESSION. Most displaced persons with depression show a reduction in symptoms overtime, mainly if there are less resettlement stressors.
CHARACTERISTICS OF MAJOR DEPRESSION:
Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, (feels sad) or empty. Note: in children and adolescents can be irritable mood.
Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in all, or all most all activities of most the day.
Significantly weight loss.
Insomnia or hypersomnia nearly every day.
Psychomotor retardation nearly everyday.
Fatigue or loss of energy nearly day.
Recurrent thoughts of death and recurrent suicidal ideation.
CONSEQUENCES TO BOTH THE PERSON AND THE SOCIETY AT LARGE
Unaddressed mental problems among stateless persons can have negative influence such as:
Substance abuse.
Sexual violence by the people who engage in warfare activities as well as those in authority in charge of the camps.
Frequent deprivation of adequate food, shelter and health services.
In PTSD, there will be changes in the person’s brain and pre-existing vulnerability and neurotoxicity as origin of brain volume reduction.
Rapid spread of disease and infection.
TO THE LARGER SOCIETY:
In places where accessibility of resources are scarce, it may result to social tension.
Over exploitation may also decrease food security.
High rate of drug abuse among affected ones can lead to mental and behavioural disorders.
Increase in morbidity and mortality rate.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
Timely access to psychological / mental health care should be given. These include:
Psychotherapy.
Counseling.
Relaxation therapy.
Behavioural and cognitive therapy.
In severe cases, admission into a psychiatric hospital for expert management.
Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation Borno State team members were able to offer quick interventions to the displaced persons, also offering psychological support to them just hours after the flood disaster on 10th September, 2024.
We are committed to those deliberate and intentional efforts that will bring positive impact on mankind’s mental health and well being for a greater society.
We thank our Cope and Live Mental Health Awareness Foundation Borno State team for their prompt engagement with these victims of flood disaster in Maiduguri. This prompt and active Engagement, support and assistance helped in no small measure to stabilise their mental health which was negatively affected due to the displacement. You too can help to affect lives positively and that way, there will be stability of emotions resulting in their mental well being.
FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP. CALL +234 814 831 8965
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