Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder among Persons Returning from Internal Displacement in Baghdad City

Background: Internally displaced populations experience a wide range and a highnumber of potentially traumatic, repeated, and prolonged adverse events.Worldwide, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has become the most commondisorder among internally displaced persons (IDPs). It adversely affects the overallquality of life and psychosocial functioning. Objective: Assess the prevalence rateof PTSD among persons returning from internal displacement in Baghdad city anddetermine which type of traumatic experience had the strongest independent effecton PTSD. Settings: The present study was conducted in the Al-Karkh directoratewhich is affiliated with the Ministry of Migration and Displacement in Iraq.Subjects: A total of 600 returnees from internal displacement within six months andaged 18 years and above were recruited. Tools: A socio-demographic, healthstatus, and traumatic events structured interview schedule, and The PTSD Checklistfor DSM-5 (PCL-5) were used. Results: Sixty-eight percent of the studied subjectshad symptoms of PTSD. The studied subjects who had a family member (s) beingkilled as a result of violence were the strongest predictor of PTSD (β = 0.50, t =18.18, P<0.001). Conclusion: The PTSD rate is substantially high among IDPs inIraq. Violence against family members was the most important predictor of PTSD.Recommendations: Mental health services should be provided to reduce thenegative effects of trauma and strengthen a community-supportive approach to helpreturnees reintegrate into society after returning to their place of origin.