Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression among Adult Women who have Experienced Sexual Violence: A Case of Project Tushinde Ujeuri in The Health Zone of Katana in South Kivu D. R. Congo
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Date
2021-11
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Daystar University, School of Applied Human Sciences
Abstract
Women exposed to gender-based violence (GBV) have high rates of lifetime mood and anxiety disorders. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety are the major mental disorders that affect them. Panzi Foundation’s Tushinde Ujeuri Project has been registering over 500 survivors of sexual violence every year. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression and PTSD among adult women who have experienced sexual violence, a case of Tushinde Ujeuri Project in the health zone of Katana in the South Kivu Province of DRC. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of PTSD, the prevalence of depression, and assess the comorbidity of PTSD and depression among adult women survivors of sexual violence at Katana in the South Kivu of DRC. The study adopted the emotional processing theory to explain PTSD development and the hopelessness theory of depression to explain the occurrence of depression. The study used a descriptive research design. From a total of 913 victims of violence from August 2020 to February 2021, the researcher selected 116 respondents using simple random sampling. Data was collected using standardized questions comprising of patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V). The obtained data was analysed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The prevalence of depression among victims of sexual violence was 73.5% while the prevalence of PSTD among victims of sexual violence was 71.12%. The study found that depression had a significant association with PTSD at α=0.05. The comorbidity between depression and PTSD was implied by r=0.800. The study concluded that survivors of sexual violence suffered high levels of PTSD and depression. The study recommends the development of other facilities in the DRC, other than the Panzi Foundation, to help survivors of GBV.
Description
MASTER OF ARTS in Counselling Psychology
Keywords
gender-based violence, lifetime mood and anxiety disorders, Post-traumatic stress disorder
Citation
Namegabe, S. (2021). Prevalence of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Depression among Adult Women who have Experienced Sexual Violence: A Case of Project Tushinde Ujeuri in The Health Zone of Katana in South Kivu D. R. Congo. Daystar University, School of Applied Human Sciences.