INFLUENCE OF SOCIAL SUPPORT ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS IN BAMA, BORNO STATE.

Abstract

The displacement of individuals due to conflicts is a major concern worldwide. People displaced by insurgency in Nigeria are at risk of developing mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety and stress. Social support however, plays a role in alleviating these mental health challenges. This study examined the influence of social support on the mental health of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State. A cross-sectional survey design was adopted in the study. Participants were three hundred and ninety six IDPs, (157 males and 239 females) drawn from the Government Senior Secondary School IDP Camp Bama, using simple random sampling. Data was collected using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS). Three research hypotheses were generated and tested using linear regression and independent sample t-test. The study found social support to have a significant influence on depression among IDPs at [F(1, 394) = 7.554 R2 = .019, p < 0.01], social support have a significant influence on perceived stress among IDPs [F(1, 394) = 8.400 R2 = .021, p < 0.01] whereas social support have no significant influence on anxiety among IDPs [F(1, 394) = .028 R2 = .000, p > 0.05].The study concluded that social support has significant influence on mental health by alleviating symptoms of depression and stress among IDPs but not with anxiety. It recommends among others that organizations and government agencies involved in providing humanitarian services to IDPs should prioritize and enhance social support programs such as counselling services, support services, and community-building initiatives to strengthen the social support network for IDPs.   Key words: IDPs, Mental Health, Depression, Anxiety, Stress and Social support