Health-Related Quality of Life and Psychiatric Morbidity Among Internally Displaced Persons in Katsina State, Northwestern Nigeria

Background: Violence in Northwest Nigeria has forced millions to flee their homes, with many getting killed or wounded, leading to a surge in mental health problems like depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). By March 2023, Katsina State, one of the worst-hit areas, had a displaced population of about 1.5 million. Studies have linked displacement to increased mental health problems, emphasising the need for support in affected communities. Objective: To determine the prevalence, correlates, and predictors of psychiatric morbidity and HRQoL among IDPs in Katsina State, Northwestern Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional, two-stage study was conducted among 450 randomly selected adult IDPs between March and May 2023. Stage one involved sociodemographic profiling, GHQ-12 screening, and WHOQOL-BREF administration. All GHQ-positive participants and 10% of GHQ-negatives underwent stage-two diagnostic interviews (MINI 7.0.2) for depression, generalised anxiety disorder (GAD), and PTSD—the Horvitz–Thompson estimator adjusted prevalence for verification bias. Associations were explored using chi-square and t-tests; independent predictors were identified via multivariable logistic regression. Results: Mean age was 38.8 ± 13.9 years; 57.8% were female. GHQ-12 identified 80.0% probable psychiatric cases, with MINI-confirmed diagnoses in 77.8% of screen-positives. Weighted psychiatric morbidity prevalence was 65.7%. The individual psychiatric morbidity prevalences were: depression (4.2%), GAD with comorbid depression (41.7%), and PTSD (31.9%). Over 85% reported poor HRQoL across all domains. Independent predictors of psychiatric morbidity included younger age (<46 years: AOR = 5.76; 95% CI: 1.55–21.34; p = 0.009), low income (<₦10,000: AOR = 4.28; 95% CI: 1.41–13.02; p = 0.010), sustaining injury (AOR = 2.86; 95% CI: 1.11–7.40; p = 0.030), witnessing killing (AOR = 8.87; 95% CI: 3.41–23.06; p < 0.001), and loss of a family member (AOR = 32.30; 95% CI: 8.85–117.95; p < 0.001). Conclusion: Psychiatric morbidity and poor HRQoL are highly prevalent among IDPs in Katsina. Trauma-related events are strong predictors, underscoring the urgent need for targeted, trauma-informed mental health interventions integrated into humanitarian responses.