Assessment of the Prevalence of PTSD Symptoms Among Survivors of Flooding Disaster in Anambra State

Flooding is a recurrent disaster in South East Nigeria, and its psychological aftermath, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, is frequently underassessed and inadequately supported through formal counselling services. This study assessed the prevalence of PTSD symptoms and associated risk factors among survivors of a major flooding event in Ogbaru Local Government Area, Anambra State, South East Nigeria. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted among 240 adult flood survivors, recruited from temporary resettlement centres, 6 to 8 weeks after the flooding event. The PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 was administered alongside a structured sociodemographic questionnaire capturing displacement severity, loss severity, and social support availability. Results showed a PTSD symptom prevalence of 44.2 percent using standard clinical cutoff scores. Probable PTSD was significantly associated with loss of home (OR 3.8, p < 0.001), multiple previous flood exposures (OR 2.6, p < 0.01), female gender (OR 2.1, p < 0.05), and low social support (OR 3.1, p < 0.001). Only 11.7 percent of PTSD-probable respondents had accessed any form of psychological support. The study recommends post-disaster psychological first aid training for community responders, trauma-focused counselling deployment in resettlement settings, and integration of mental health assessment into the Anambra State Emergency Management Agency's disaster response protocol. Keywords: PTSD, flood disaster, survivors, Anambra State, trauma counselling