Trauma Symptom Profiles and Functional Impairment Among Child Soldiers Reintegrated into Communities in Borno State, North East Nigeria

Children forcibly recruited by Boko Haram and subsequently disengaged represent a population with complex trauma histories, and understanding their psychological profiles and functional impairment is essential for designing effective reintegration support. This study examines trauma symptom profiles and functional impairment among formerly abducted and reintegrated child soldiers in Borno State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional analytical design is applied to 120 children aged 8 to 17 years in formal reintegration programmes, selected through purposive sampling with gatekeeping through programme administrators. The UCLA Child PTSD Reaction Index, the Child Behaviour Checklist, and the Children's Global Assessment Scale are administered through trained interpreters. Descriptive statistics, cluster analysis, and regression analysis are performed in SPSS. Available trauma literature from North East Nigeria identifies complex PTSD, moral injury, attachment disruption, and school reintegration deficits as the distinctive trauma dimensions in child soldier populations. The Complex PTSD Framework by Herman and the Reintegration Ecology Model provide the theoretical reference. This study empirically addresses a significant evidence gap on psychological profiles specific to Nigerian child soldier populations, with findings directly informing the UNICEF and government Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration programme psychological support design in Borno State. Keywords: child soldiers, trauma, functional impairment, reintegration, Borno State.