Influence of Traumatization and Category of Biafran-Nigerian Civil War Veterans on Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Among War Survivors

The study examine the long lasting effect of traumatization (Nigeria-Biafra war zone combat trauma) as well as recurrent flooding of traumatic events (ethnic conflict, religious conflict and political conflict) in Biafra “pogrom” survivors. Seventy six Biafran war survivors made up of 18 (23.68%) disabled (wounded) combatant Biafran war veterans at Orji township, 30(39.47%) were combatant war survivors and 28 (36.85%) were non-combatant war survivors from Anambra and Enugu marginalized cities in Nigeria. The Los Angles symptom checklist (King, Leskin, Foy and David, 1995) was used to assess their levels of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). There were significant differences in the group's experience of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The disabled combatants Biafran war survivors had significantly high experience of PTSD than the combatant and non-combatant Biafran war veterans. The combatant war veterans that had experienced intense ethnic, political or religious conflict following the Biafran war had significantly high PTSD than those that had not. One possible implication of this finding is that episodic or enduring posttraumatic stress disorders can still afflict survivors leading to psychological impairments on the individual long after the initial onset of the traumatic event. Subsequent experience of extreme stress disorder reinforces the PTSD sequels in a survivor. The psychologist, Nigerian government, the multinational humanitarian organizations, and other mental health stake holders are to respond to the findings by providing psychotherapy and psychological rehabilitation to these survivors