Prevalence and Severity of PTSD among Children in Children’s Homes in Nyeri County Kenya

Abstract

A vast majority of children and adults in the world experience PTSD in their surroundings which remains a significant health social problem affecting their mental and physical health, work, and relationship. Traumatic events serve as vulnerability markers for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).The rates of exposure to traumatic events have been shown by various studies across the world although none have been conclusive enough to cover the prevalence and severity of PTSD within specific communities. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence and severity of PTSD among children in children’s homes in Nyeri County, Kenya. The study adopted a Quasi-experimental research design on a target population of two hundred and thirty five children from the two selected children’s homes in Nyeri County. Stratified random sampling procedure was used to arrive at the sample of one hundred and sixty children. The study used semi structured questionnaires and CPSS-SR-V, a PTSD symptom measure based on DSM-5 to collect data from children. The validation of research instrument was done by subjecting the items in the questionnaire to content validity and its reliability determined using Pearson chi-square test. The data analysis was computed with the help of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23. Findings from the study showed that male children between 10-13 years of age are the most affected by PTSD. The research is likely to improve practice in PTSD therapy by reviewing and presenting findings on its prevalence and severity among children in Nyeri County, Kenya.