This systematic review summarizes the most recent data and evidence on the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder and the effect of associated factors on adult displaced people in Africa. Posttraumatic stress disorder is marked by increased stress and anxiety following exposure to a traumatic or stressful event.
Publications were identified from PubMed/Medline, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Scopus databases, and other grey searches of Google Scholar and World Health Organization (WHO) reports. Articles published online in English from January 2000 to April 2023 were considered. The quality of research was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for cross-sectional study quality assessment. Ten studies of satisfactory quality met the inclusion criteria, covering a total of 5,287 study participants. Among the 10 studies, three were from Ethiopia, two from Nigeria, two from Uganda, and one each from Kenya, Somalia, and Zambia.
Main results:
- The pooled prevalence of PTSD among displaced people in Africa was 56 percent.
- A higher pooled prevalence of PTSD was found among studies conducted in Uganda (60 percent) and Nigeria (60 percent), compared to Ethiopia (48 percent).
- The pooled prevalence of PTSD among internally displaced people and refugees was 56 percent and 54 percent, respectively.
- Demographic characteristics such as being female, single, and unemployed, as well as depression, were identified as risk factors for PTSD among displaced people.
The systematic review and meta-analysis revealed a high prevalence of PTSD among displaced people in Africa. The study also identified demographic characteristics such as being female, single, and unemployed, as well as depression, as risk factors for PTSD among displaced individuals.