COVID-19 Among Internally Displaced Persons in Burkina Faso: Psychosocial Impact and Intervention Strategies

Abstract

Since the onset of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 epidemic in Burkina Faso, the already critical situation of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) following terrorist attacks, has worsened. IDPs -who face an existential crisis -are further stricken by the psychosocial repercussions of the health crisis that are undeniable and known all over the world. The coexistence of the security and health crises further amplifies the psychosocial impact of the condition, especially for individuals living in extreme poverty. Through a qualitative methodology based on individual interviews and clinical observation, this article analyses the emergence mechanisms of psychosocial conditions in Internally Displaced Persons in a COVID-19 context and aims to identify and assess the psychosocial disorders inherent to the coronavirus pandemic in this population. Thus, terrorist attacks, hasty departures, abandonment of land, houses, property, loss of close relatives, material and financial hardship, etc., are all challenges whose impact is far more distressing for this population. Although it is not perceived as a significant phenomenon, the COVID-19 crisis is an aggravating factor due to its effect on the country and the world. As such, a psychological support framework that promotes a locus of control focused on problem-solving is recommended. This will reduce peritraumatic dissociations and prevent post-traumatic disorders associated with the context.