| dc.description.abstract | Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe psychological condition that significantly impairs daily functioning and quality of life. It is brought about by exposure to traumatic experiences such as natural disasters, military warfare, sexual assault, or physical harm. Despite its high prevalence, PTSD is often underdiagnosed. Local information on how prevalent and associated attributes of this condition are deficient. The study aimed to assess how common post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is and to identify the factors linked to its occurrence among individuals with severe physical injuries at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital. The research employed a cross-sectional study design to examine the variables, collecting data from 143 patients with severe physical injuries who were undergoing follow-up in the surgical and orthopaedic outpatient clinics at JOOTRH over a two-month period. A standardized PTSD assessment tool was used to evaluate all the patients for probable PTSD. The collected data were processed and analysed using SPSS version 25 statistical software. Descriptive statistics were summarized in tables and charts, while for inferential analysis, chi-square statistics were used to assess categorical associations. Independent risk factors for PTSD were ascertained through multiple logistic regression analysis, with statistical significance defined as p < 0.05 at a 95% confidence interval. The study found a PTSD prevalence of 16.8% among individuals with severe physical injuries (n = 24). Statistically significant factors associated with PTSD included male gender (P=0.005, OR=0.27), being in employment (P=0.001, OR=0.178), urban residency (P=0.006, OR=0.27), low social support (P=0.000, OR=0.55), and being married (P=0.018, OR=0.19). These factors were associated with lower prevalence. However, prior physical injury (P = 0.00, OR = 9.38) and a familial predisposition to mental illness (p = 0.001, OR = 12.9) exhibited a markedly higher prevalence of PTSD. In conclusion, compared to similar studies conducted in tertiary institutions across the region, this study reported a notably higher prevalence of PTSD. Gender, occupational status, prior physical trauma, residential setting, social support level, marital status, and a family history of mental health disorders were all identified as important predictors of PTSD. Given the higher prevalence of PTSD found in this study, the external validity of these findings warrants confirmation through replication studies with adequate statistical power so as to generalise the findings throughout other institutions and the wider region. Targeted screening of patients with increased risk factors should be done, specifically those with a history of prior physical injuries and individuals with familial predisposition to psychiatric disorders. | en_US |
