SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AMONG BANDITRY VICTIMS THROUGH THERAPEUTIC COMMUNICATION AT YANKABA COMMUNITY KAURA NAMODA ZAMFARA STATE

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder develops in people after extremely traumatic events such as terrorist attacks, kidnapping, combat, and natural disasters. Nigeria has had a long unfortunate history of banditry activities since the aftermath of the general election, (2011). This banditry affected the entire country, mostly affected were northwest and north-central geopolitical Zones. Zamfara State is one of those affected states and served as a headquarters for this heinous act. This has caused large-scale of deaths, payment of huge sums of money as ransomed by kidnapped victims' relatives, sexual harassment, destruction of properties, and displacement of people from their ancestral homes. The escalating banditry activities in Nigeria, particularly in Zamfara State, have resulted in widespread trauma and a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among affected communities. Pre-intervention assessment revealed a high prevalence of PTSD symptoms in both groups, with 80% experiencing intrusion symptoms, 97.8% avoidance symptoms, 90% arousal and reactivity symptoms, and 100% negative alterations in cognition and mood. Following therapeutic communication, the intervention group demonstrated significant reductions in all PTSD symptom clusters (p<0.001). The majority (95%) received therapeutic communication for 0-6 weeks and expressed high satisfaction with the intervention. Therapeutic communication proved to be a valuable intervention for ameliorating PTSD symptoms in banditry victims and improving the well-being of trauma survivors.