Trauma and resilience associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the cities of Bafoussam and Dschang in Cameroon

Introduction. - The emergence of the Covid-19 pandemic in Cameroon, as in Africa and around the world, was marked by a suddenness and unpredictability that fascinated the imagination. The considerable psychic and social repercussions of the pandemic mobilized a significant anguish of death. The sudden onset of the pandemic was followed by spectacular, high-profile deaths that fascinated the imagination, listing it in the order of traumatic events, provoking reactions of astonishment, flight and avoidance. Goal. - The objective of this study is to determine the symptomatology of post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as the resilience, associated with the Covid-19 pandemic in the Western Region of Cameroon. Methodology. - The research was carried out following the model of general population mental health surveys. The availability of area frames (sampling) made it possible to opt for probabilistic calculations. First and second year master's students in clinical psychology from Dschang University were involved in data collection. They benefited from a two-day seminar on data collection techniques in the general population. The calculated sample size is 384 households. The anticipated response rate, set at 90%, made it possible to increase robustness and to anticipate a total sample of 424 households, spread over 3 districts of Bafoussam and Dschang, according to the choice previously made. The study followed the ethical provisions of the Helsinki Protocol. The data collection tools used are: the Impact of Event Scale-Revised and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Results. - 409 subjects were recruited, representing a completion rate of 106.5%. 70.7% of subjects exhibited symptoms of PTSD. These symptoms are more often mild (40.9%) or moderate (25.6%). Women are more affected (73.7%) by PTSD than men (67.9%). In addition to sex and age, area of residence and marital status, appear to be significantly associated with symptoms of PTSD: subjects under 35 years of age have a significantly higher prevalence rate than those over 35; the rate of PTSD is significantly higher in subjects living in urban areas than in those living in rural areas; single subjects are more affected by PTSD (40.1%) than married subjects (26.7%). The average score recorded on the CD-RISC is 64.3, the standard deviation is 15.3 and the coefficient of variation is 24%. This average falls into the second quartile of the distribution, indicating average resilience. CD-RISC scores are not affected by gender, age, marital status, level of education, or occupational status. These characteristics are therefore not factors of resilience. Conclusion. - The Covid-19 pandemic has had a psychological impact in Cameroon which has made it a major psychosocial stressor. More than 6 in 10 people have symptoms of PTSD. But this symptomatology is often weak or moderate, testifying to an effective resilience, to balance the traumatic effects of the pandemic. (C) 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.