An Assessment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder among Retired Military Personnel in Makurdi Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated post traumatic stress disorder among retired military personnel in Makurdi Metropolis. The study employed an ex-post facto cross-sectional survey method where two hundred and ninety two (292) retired military personnel with ages ranging from 38-88 years (Mean= 59.21, SD = 9.82) participated in the study. A questionnaire consisting of three sections was used to collect data. Results of Multiple Regression showed that, education, emotional detachment and social stigma independently and jointly contributed to post traumatic stress among retired military personnel (R=.304, F(5,274)=3.498, p<.001). Pearson's Product Moment Correlation equally showed a significant positive relationship between coping abilities and post-traumatic stress disorder among retired military personnel r(290) = .96 p <.001. Based on the findings of the study, it was therefore recommended that conscious efforts should be made to improve the condition of the serving and retired military personnel suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder. The study also recommended that more researches should be conducted in the study area for further identification of the long term solution of problems of posttraumatic stress disorder among military personnel using larger sample sizes.