Assessment of Psychosocial Support Services for Flood Disaster Survivors in Selected IDP Camps in Bayelsa State

Flood disasters in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria have repeatedly generated large internally displaced populations requiring urgent psychosocial support alongside material relief. This study assessed the adequacy and quality of psychosocial support services available to flood disaster survivors in selected internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria. A descriptive survey design was adopted, with 220 adult survivors and 18 psychosocial support workers from four IDP camps in Yenagoa and Sagbama local government areas participating. The Psychosocial Support Service Adequacy Inventory and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-25) were administered. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and t-tests. Findings revealed that psychosocial support services in the sampled camps were largely insufficient, inconsistent, and lacked trained counsellors. Over 55 percent of survivors showed clinically significant levels of anxiety and depression that remained unaddressed by available support services. Survivors who received structured counselling sessions reported significantly lower distress scores than those receiving only informal peer support. Female survivors demonstrated higher distress levels but also greater engagement with available support. The study recommended that disaster response frameworks in Bayelsa State prioritise deployment of trained counsellors to IDP camps and that psychological first aid training be integrated into all humanitarian response team competency requirements. Keywords: psychosocial support, flood disaster, IDP camps, Bayelsa State, disaster counselling.