According to Key Results yield a PTSD rate of 18.8, 6.2, 5.2% within survivors, in country non-targeted, and returnees respectively with an average PTSD rate of 43.8% for parents, and 16.5% for offspring.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been the subject of several research studies in recent years on the epidemiological, neurobiological or therapeutic levels, but there are few studies adolescent, especially in developing countries.
Posttraumatic stress disorder is classified as a severe anxiety disorder and is a major public health problem around the world.
According to the DSM-IV classification, the diagnosis of PTSD requires exposure to a traumatic event (the person has been exposed or witnessed or confronted with one or more events that have involved death or threat of death, or serious injuries or a threat to their physical integrity or that of others), and the fact of having reacted to them with a feeling of intense fear, helplessness or horror
The world health organization (WHO) global disease of burden survey estimates that mental illness, including stress-related disorders, will be the second leading cause of disability by the year 2023 (WHO, 2020). In a given year, PTSD affected about 8 million adults worldwide.
Rwanda as the country that has experienced genocide there is a high rate of the PTSD in both the pre and post genocide generation according to the article
Munyandamutsa, the estimated prevalence of PTSD among Rwandan population was around 26.1% (Musanabaganwa et al., 2020). However, substantial heterogeneity exists in the prevalence of PTSD reported in Rwandan post-genocide. For example, the estimated Munyandamutsa, the estimated prevalence of PTSD among Rwandan population was around 26.1% (Musanabaganwa et al., 2020). However, substantial heterogeneity exists in the prevalence of PTSD reported in Rwandan post-genocide.
Post traumatic disorder doesn’t only affect the mental health of the person but also physical consequences such as alterations to the brain structure, the brain becomes hypersensitive, which is indicated by common symptoms, including recurring flashbacks and hyperarousal to associated stimuli.
Besides the physical consequences,PTSD also comes with social stigma by creating
disconnection between the individual and society, which severely impacts recovery.
Even though they are less studies and research done on the prevalence of Post Traumatic traumatic stress disorder on the post genocide generation,
Especially on the commonness of PTSD especially in Kigali city
On research done on the prevalence of PTSD in youth Kicukiro District as the reference it shows that on the statistics
Objectif 1: Prevalence of PTSD among youths living in Kicukiro District
The present study finds that About 34% of the respondents had gone through or witnessed a traumatic event, while 66% had not. When it came to disturbing thoughts or memories about traumatic events, 14% rarely experienced them, 27% sometimes, and 59% often. Regarding avoidance of things, places, or people linked to traumatic events, 7% did not avoid at all, 20% rarely, 33% sometimes, and 40% often.
Objective 2: Factors associated with PTSD among the youth living in Kicukiro district
This study suggested that Factors contributing to the development of PTSD among youth, as per respondents, include exposure to violence (46%), family history of mental health disorders (14%), substance abuse (33%), and other factors (7%). Barriers preventing youth from seeking help for PTSD include the stigma associated with mental health (33%), lack of awareness about available services (46%), lack of trust in healthcare professionals (13%), and financial constraints (8%).
Association between socio-demographic characteristics and Traumatic event
The current study shows that there is evidence of a potential association between experiencing a traumatic event and two factors: education level (p-value = 0.02) and income per month (p-value = 0.009). These p-values indicate a significant relationship with traumatic events. However, for other factors like gender, age group, profession status, religion, and wealth category, the p-values are greater than the typical significance level of 0.05, indicating no strong statistical evidence of an association. Age group (p-value = 0.0897) is close to the significance threshold, suggesting a possible but not definitive relationship.
PTSD is a critical mental health issue “Silent trauma” that needs to be addressed and given attention
PTSD can be prevented and treated
- Psychological first aid
- Cognitive Behavior Therapy
- Pharmacotherapy [Morphine, propranolol, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
- complementary and alternative medicine
- Social support and group therapy