Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Associated Risk Factors Among Young Adults in Selected Secondary Schools in Lakes State, South Sudan
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Date
2023-09
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Tangaza University
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder is a mental condition that develops after a person has been exposed to traumatic events. Traumatic events are dreadful, shocking, scary and dangerous experience that affect someone, which possibly causes clinically significant distress or impairment in the life of some of the young adults. This study sought to investigate posttraumatic stress disorder and associated risk factors among young adults in selected secondary schools in Lakes State, South Sudan. The study was guided by the following research objectives: to identify types of traumatic events among young adults in selected secondary schools in Lakes State, South Sudan; to determine the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder among young adults in selected secondary school in Lakes States, South Sudan; and also to establish risk factors associated with posttraumatic stress disorder among young adults in selected secondary schools in Lakes State, South Sudan. A descriptive research design was used in the study. The target population was young adults in selected secondary schools. The sample size for the study was 366 students. Multi stage sampling method was used to identify the schools then randomly select the final participants proportionally. A social demographic questionnaire, Harvard trauma Questionnaire and types of traumatic events questionnaires were used respectively. Descriptive cross-sectional survey was also used. Statistical Package for Social Science version 26 (SPSS version 26) was used to analyze the quantitative data, using frequencies and percentage expressions, and then presented in summary tables. In the study findings, the study has established that death trauma (61.2%), unfortunate news (57.7%), robbery (53.8%), fear of death or injury (50.3%) and forceful threats (44.3%) are the types of traumatic events experienced by young adults in selected secondary schools in Lakes State, South Sudan. Furthermore, the study found that Trauma (0.000<p=0.05) has a significant relationship with PTSD. Regarding the prevalence of PTSD symptoms among young adults in selected secondary schools in Lakes State, South Sudan. The study has found the prevalence to be 15.3%. Further the research has established that gender of the participants, with the significance level as 0.032<p=0.05 is a risk factor to developing PTSD. The study recommends the Ministry of General Education and Instruction of Lakes State Government to enact a policy that guides secondary schools on management of mental health wellbeing of secondary school students and Counselors in Lakes State and other States that experienced civil strife in South Sudan to engage in supporting victims of traumatic events by offering counseling services to students.