Socio-demographic factors as correlate of post-traumatic stress disorder and social adjustment among amputees receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi, Nasarawa State, Nigeria
- January 28, 2022
- Posted by: rsispostadmin
- Categories: IJRISS, Psychology, Social Science
International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue I, January 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
Hussaini Yusuf ONAWO1, Emmanuel Onu ALHASSAN2, Oluwabunmi Hezekiah AJAYI3
1Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, Nasarawa State, Nigeria.
2Department of Psychology Nasarawa State University, Keffi Nigeria.
3Brains Specialist Hospital, Abuja.
Abstract
The study investigated socio-demographic variables (age and gender) as correlates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social adjustment among amputees at the Federal Medical Centre, Keffi. Adopting an ex- post factor research design, 50 amputee patients (M=33; F=17) – aged 17-72 years with a mean age of 40.02 and standard deviation of 14.213 – were recruited by means of purposive sampling technique to participate in the study. Data was collected using the PTSD scale and the Social Adjustment Scale. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested in the study. Findings indicated that there was a positive relationship between age and PTSD (r (48) = 0.327, P < 0.05). This implies that age has an influence on individual responses to traumatic events with an indication that the event of amputation tends to be more traumatic among younger age than older age individuals. The finding further indicated that there was a statistically significant relationship between older age and social adjustment (r (48) = 0.289, P < 0.05). The analysis further revealed a statistically significant difference between Males and Females (t (48) = -4.200, P < 0.05) on PTSD. Finally, results indicated that Males and Females socially adjust differently to traumatic situations (t (48) = -2.018, P < 0.05). The findings suggest that age and gender significantly predict post-traumatic stress disorder and social adjustment. The study therefore recommends that Government and NGOs as well as other care providers should manage the mental health of amputees and individuals with similar conditions based on their demographic factors in addition to presenting signs and symptoms.
Keywords: Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, Social Adjustment, Age, Gender
Introduction
Exposure to trauma and stressful situations has become a common experience in the lives of many individuals around the world. According to the World Bank (2018), over 180 civilians have lost their lives in suicide bomb attacks in North East Nigeria since late 2016. Furthermore, Amnesty International has reported that clashes between farmers and herders have claimed at least 268 lives in 2018 alone leaving a lot more people with various degrees of life changing injuries in North Central Nigeria (Amnesty International, 2018). A simple reflection brings to mind many recent examples of these kinds of traumas occurring both at the local and international levels – leading to various degrees of injuries and amputations of various parts of the bodies of victims of these traumatic situations. Chief among these various traumatic exposures is the one related to road traffic accidents, which is one of the least studied traumatic events that can impact on individuals and families in Nigeria.
Casual observation of happenings in Nigeria has shown that beside the recent killings and destruction of properties by the insurgents in the North-east and by militants in the Niger-Delta region, farmer/herder crisis in the North Central, road traffic accident is the most common cause of unintended injuries and fatalities to individuals and families in Nigeria (Luka, 2017).
Most trauma research has focused on mental health outcomes after the experience of trauma, while comparatively fewer studies have focused the roles of demographic variables and social factors that make a person more resilient in the face of adversities (Mastin, 2001).
