Armed Conflict and Depression among Heads of Households in Dogonahawa, North-Central Nigeria: Prevalence and Correlates

Background and Aim: Research has shown that 30% -70% of people who have lived in war zones suffer from symptoms of depression, with exceptionally high rates documented among heads of households.Thus, this study aims to determine the prevalence and correlates of depression among victims of armed-conflict in Dogonahawa, North-Central Nigeria.Methods: A multistage sampling of households was employed to select 270 respondents aged ≥ 18 years.A face-to-face interview was conducted using the Revised Beck Depression Inventory-11 to collect data on depression.Results: The prevalence of depression was 38.5% in all respondents, 45.2% and 28.6% among heads of households and the dependants respectively.The odds of having depression was more than twice among heads of households with income below N20,000.00 compared to those earning above N50,000.00(OR = 3.02, P = 0.253), but was decreased among males, those engaged in professional jobs and those with household size of less than five members compared to females, being engaged in non professional jobs and having more than five household members respectively (OR = 0.198, P = 0.002; OR = 0.049 and OR = 0.199; P = 0.012 and OR = 0.193; P = 0.001 respectively).Conclusion: The results point to the importance of disaster preparedness generally and specifically, with particular attention to household heads who are females, non professionals, with low income and larger household size.