Benue State University, Makurdi

EMOTIONAL TRAUMA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT AMONG INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN BENUE NORTH-WEST NIGERIA: MEDIATING ROLE OF PSYCHOLOGICAL RESILIENCE

Emmanuel Omachi & Samuel TerzungweAnhange

Abstract

This study investigated emotional trauma and psychological adjustment among internally displaced persons in Benue North-west Nigeria; mediating role of psychological resilience. The study used cross-sectional survey design where 384 internally displaced persons comprising 128 (33.3%) males and 256 (66.7%) females were used. Their ages ranged from 20-55years with a mean age of 32.727 years (SD=9.313). Multi-stage sampling was used to draw the sample while Emotional Trauma Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and Brief Psychological Adjustment Scale were used for data collection. Hypothesis one and two were tested using Multiple linear regression, hypothesis three was tested using Process Mediation Analysis while hypothesis four was tested using Hierarchical Regression. Results indicated that there was a significant negative influence of emotional trauma on psychological adjustment among internally displaced persons[R 2 =.862, F(4,379)=592.919, p<.001]. The result also indicated that there was a significant positive influence of psychological resilience 2 on psychological adjustment among internally displaced persons[R =.111, F(5,378)=9.420, p<.001].Also, resilience did not significantly mediate the relationship between emotional trauma and psychological adjustment among internally displaced persons[R 2 =.207, F(2,381)=49.703, Int_1(X*M) (ß=-.0013, t=-.0055, p>.05]. Lastly, after demographic variables were controlled, both emotional trauma and psychological resilience made a significant joint influence on psychological adjustment among internally displaced persons[R 2 =.669, F(3,374)=121.070, p<.001]. It was recommended that clinical psychologists should assume the duty of educating internally displaced persons on the impact of trauma on their daily functioning.

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