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Impact of Psychosocial Support Programmes on Psychological Distress among Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria

Abstract

Psychological distress is a significant public health concern among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Nigeria, many of whom have been displaced from their homes because of armed conflict, communal violence, insecurity, disasters, and other emergencies. Displacement may expose individuals and families to traumatic experiences, loss of loved ones and property, separation from social networks, uncertainty, overcrowded living conditions, unemployment, food insecurity, and limited access to essential health and social services. These experiences may contribute to anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional distress, sleep difficulties, fear, hopelessness, and other psychological challenges. Psychosocial support programmes provide an important approach to addressing these challenges by offering emotional support, counselling, psychological first aid, peer-support activities, recreational activities, community-based support, and referral to specialized mental health services. Against this background, this study investigates the impact of psychosocial support programmes on psychological distress among internally displaced persons in Nigeria. The study will be anchored on the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping, Social Support Theory, and the Social Ecological Model. The Transactional Model of Stress and Coping explains how displaced persons appraise traumatic and stressful experiences and utilize available coping resources to manage psychological demands. Social Support Theory emphasizes the protective role of emotional, informational, instrumental, and social support in reducing the negative psychological effects of displacement and adversity. The Social Ecological Model recognizes that psychological wellbeing among IDPs is influenced by interconnected individual, family, community, institutional, and broader environmental factors. Collectively, these theoretical perspectives provide a suitable framework for explaining how psychosocial support programmes may influence psychological distress among internally displaced persons in Nigeria. The study will adopt a quantitative quasi-experimental or analytical cross-sectional research design. The study population will comprise internally displaced adults and adolescents residing in selected formal and informal displacement settings across Nigeria. A multistage sampling technique will be used to select states, internally displaced persons' camps or settlements, communities, and eligible participants. Psychosocial support programmes will be measured using indicators such as availability of psychosocial services, programme participation, frequency and duration of sessions, individual counselling, group counselling, psychological first aid, peer-support activities, recreational and social activities, psychoeducation, family support, community support, referral services, follow-up, and access to specialized mental health professionals. Psychological distress will be assessed using indicators such as symptoms of anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional distress, fear, hopelessness, sleep difficulties, irritability, feelings of being overwhelmed, concentration difficulties, and perceived difficulty coping with displacement-related experiences. Data will be collected using structured questionnaires, validated psychological distress assessment instruments, psychosocial programme records, and relevant humanitarian service records where available. Where a quasi-experimental design is used, psychological distress will be assessed before and after participation in the psychosocial support programme. Descriptive statistics will be used to summarize participants' demographic and displacement-related characteristics, programme participation, and psychological distress levels. Inferential statistical techniques, including paired or independent sample tests, chi-square tests, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis where appropriate, will be used to determine the impact of psychosocial support programmes on psychological distress. Diagnostic tests will also be conducted to assess the reliability, validity, and robustness of the findings. The study is expected to find that psychosocial support programmes have a significant positive impact by reducing psychological distress among internally displaced persons in Nigeria. IDPs who participate in structured psychosocial support programmes are expected to demonstrate lower levels of psychological distress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, emotional difficulties, sleep problems, and feelings of hopelessness compared with their baseline levels or individuals without similar programme exposure. Individual and group counselling, psychological first aid, peer-support activities, recreational programmes, psychoeducation, and referral to specialized mental health services may provide displaced persons with opportunities to process distress, strengthen coping strategies, rebuild social connections, and access appropriate care. Community-based psychosocial interventions may also strengthen social support and promote resilience within displacement settings. However, insecurity, inadequate funding, shortage of trained mental health professionals, overcrowded living conditions, prolonged displacement, limited privacy, cultural and language barriers, stigma, and inconsistent programme availability may reduce the effectiveness and sustainability of psychosocial support programmes. The study therefore expects accessible, culturally sensitive, community-based, and sustained psychosocial support programmes to contribute significantly to reducing psychological distress among internally displaced persons in Nigeria. The study is expected to contribute to the literature on psychosocial support programmes, psychological distress, internally displaced persons, displacement and mental health, humanitarian health services, psychological first aid, community mental health, trauma support, social support, mental health promotion, and public health in Nigeria. The findings will provide useful information to the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, National Emergency Management Agency, state emergency management agencies, humanitarian organizations, non-governmental organizations, mental health professionals, community health workers, development partners, and policymakers regarding strategies for improving mental health support for displaced populations. The study will also provide evidence-based recommendations for expanding psychosocial support services in displacement settings, increasing the availability of trained mental health and psychosocial support personnel, strengthening referral and follow-up systems, integrating mental health services into humanitarian response programmes, improving community-based support, and developing sustainable psychosocial support interventions for internally displaced persons across Nigeria.

Keywords: Psychosocial support programmes, psychological distress, internally displaced persons, IDPs, displacement, mental health, psychological first aid, trauma support, humanitarian health, community mental health, Nigeria, public health.