Vulnerability to drug use and risky sexual behaviours: youth and adolescents coping with trauma and stress in protracted displacement in Abuja

ABSTRACT

Internally displaced youth and adolescents may continue to suffer from displacement-associated trauma and stress many years after initial displacement. Hence, our study initially aimed to qualitatively explore how displaced youth and adolescents in Nigeria are coping with the trauma and stress associated with protracted displacement. However, through serendipity, results from the thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews from 22 displaced youths and nine professionals in Abuja revealed that in addition to some positive coping mechanisms, some displaced young males turn to drugs, while some young women turn to transactional sex and multiple sexual partners to deal with the impact of protracted displacement. This may lead to increased crime, morbidity, and mortality, thus requiring immediate intervention. This paper concluded by recommending that social workers help displaced youth and adolescents deal with their current stressors by advocating for the improvement of their living situation while also working with other professionals to intervene on the issue of drug misuse and unhealthy sexual behaviours through continuous education.

KEYWORDS:

• Youth
• adolescents
• protracted displacement
• coping mechanisms
• drug misuse
• risky sexual behaviours

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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.

Notes on contributors

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh

Prince Chiagozie Ekoh is a teaching staff and social researcher at the Department of Social Work, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State. His speciality is in areas of social gerontology and migration. He has a Masters of Science degrees in gerontology and social work and is currently a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary.

Uzoma Odera Okoye

Uzoma Odera Okoye is a Professor of Social Gerontology. She obtained her Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Social Work in 2002. She teaches research methods, social work practice methods and social gerontology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. She has conducted field research in different areas of social work and has supervised many Masters anddoctoral students.

Okwukwe Faith Ekoh

Okwukwe Faith Ekoh is a Masters student at the Department of Biochemistry, Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo. He is passionate about understanding the use of drugs for medical and non-medical purposes.