Prevalence, Associated Risk Factors and Outcome of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder amongst Internally Displaced People in Muea Community Aged 18-55 Due to the Anglophone Crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating psychiatric condition that commonly arises following exposure to traumatic events such as conflict, violence, and forced displacement. Despite its significant burden on mental health and quality of life, PTSD remains underdiagnosed and poorly documented among conflict-affected displaced populations in Cameroon. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, associated risk factors, and outcome of post-traumatic stress disorder amongst internally displaced people in Muea Community aged 18–55 due to the Anglophone crisis in the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. Method: This was a community based cross sectional study design conducted among 146 internally displaced people in the Muea community Participants were selected using a snowball sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured pre tested questionnaire. Data were entered into Microsoft Excel and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, while chi-square test was used to determine associations between variables. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Results: Of the 144 participants enrolled, 88 participants (61.1%) met the PCL-5 threshold for probable PTSD. The risk factors associated with PTSD were age (p = 0.041), witnessing violence (0.0096) and increased caregiving stress (0.001). Regarding outcomes, five of six measured domains differed significantly between PTSD-positive and PTSD-negative respondents. Those with probable PTSD reported significantly lower life satisfaction (p = 0.030), lower social support satisfaction (p = 0.009), lower perceived environmental support (p = 0.001), greater physical health limitation (p = 0.011), and higher frequency of anxiety and depression symptoms (p = 0.047). Conclusion: The study revealed that the majority of internally displaced persons in the Muea Community screened positive for probable PTSD, with older age, witnessing violence, and increased caregiving stress identified as significant associated factors. PTSD was associated with markedly worse outcomes across multiple domains including life satisfaction, social support, physical health, and mental wellbeing. Implications to Theory, Practice and Policy: The findings highlight the need to strengthen theoretical understanding of PTSD, improve screening and psychosocial support for internally displaced persons in clinical practice, and develop policies that integrate accessible mental health services into humanitarian interventions..