Pre-displacement stressors, psychological morbidity, and PTSD symptoms among displaced women by Boko-Haram in North-East Nigeria: The buffering roles of psychological capital

Abstract

We utilised a cross-sectional survey design to examine the moderating roles of dimensional psychological capital (PsyCap) and pre-displacement stressors on the relationship between psychological morbidity and severity of PTSD symptoms among internally displaced (IDP) women from terrorist activity. Participants were 631 IDP women (mean age = 31.18 years, SD = 8.59 years) displaced by Boko Haram insurgents in North-East Nigeria. Structural equation modelling (SEM) of the data from self-report measures suggested that the PsycCap resources of hope and general self-efficacy seemed to mitigate the impacts of pre-displacement stressors and psychological morbidity on severity of PTSD symptoms. Clinical interventions utilising therapies oriented towards increasing the hope and general self-efficacy of IDP women may mitigate worsening of PTSD symptoms.