BENJAMIN SAMSON in this piece examines the psychological effects of conflicts on military personnel and how the proposed DEPOWA Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnostic centre will boost morale of troops.
Nigerian military have over the years been engaged in peace keeping missions and operations in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sudan, The Gambia etc. to restore peace in the continent and other parts of the world through the United Nations (UN) and African Union (AU) mediums and regionally through the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG).
Internally, our military and other security agencies are also involved in many operations aimed at restoring peace in different troubled areas across the country. From the North-eastern part of Nigeria ravaged by Boko Haram/ Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP), to the North-west distressed by armed bandits to the South-east disturbed by Independent People of Biafra (IPOB) secession group.
These issues and many more have led to the deployment of our military and the Police to various combat grounds in a bid to curb these fore bearing menaces.
However, exposure to these wars and conflicts has exposed our military personnel to Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental illnesses.
Speaking on effects of PTSD on troops, a psychologist Dr Peter Aina, said that “the victims suffer recurrent thoughts including flash images of combat action, experience nightmares, emotional numbness, bipolar disorders and have even resulted in broken homes as wives of the soldiers complain about change in their behaviour leading to domestic violence and eventually, divorce.”
Spouse’s alarm
Consequently, wives of returning soldiers and police officers who served in conflict zones during a courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru in Abuja recently, lamented behavioural changes in their spouses.
They said military personnel have over the years suffered physical injuries, depression and emotional trauma accumulated from experiences in the theatres of operations, pointing out that traits such as nightmares, anxiety and outbursts of anger are usually triggered in response to trauma and are indicators of PTSD.
During the visit led by the president of Defence and Police Officers’ Wives Association (DEPOWA), Barrister (Mrs) Victoria Irabor, they said, “One of the major issues is the distinct behavioural traits of returning officers such as nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, and bursts of anger among others.
“These were not synonymous with our husbands’ characters before deployment.”
The DEPOWA president was accompanied by the National President of the Nigerian Army Officers’ Wives Association (NAOWA), Mrs fati Attahiru, National President Naval Officers’ Wives Association (NOWA), Hajiya Aisha Gambo and the National President, Nigerian Air Force Officers’ Wives Association (NAFOWA), Mrs Elizabeth Amao and other members of the association.
DEPOWA to the rescue?
During the courtesy visit, DEPOWA said they have taken it upon themselves to establish a state-of-the-art Post Trauma Stress Disorder (PTSD) diagnostic centre.
Mrs Victoria Irabor, during the courtesy visit said officers and soldiers usually returned from conflict zones with physical injuries and suppressed emotional trauma built from experiences in the field.
She said that consultations with medical experts showed that those behavioural changes were triggered by trauma and could be known as PTSD.
“Consequently, we intend to collaborate with the Chief of Army Staff to provide solutions by uniting our voices.
“It is our desire to have a reintegrated structure for our officers and husbands to ensure that they return to us in good health and total wellness.
“It is for this reason that I wish to propose the establishment of a PTSD evaluation and rehabilitation centre.
“It will evaluate, counsel and provide adequate support to officers, soldiers and by extension their wives prior to reintegration from conflict zones.
“We have a good number of medical facilities across military formations in the country, but they do not provide thorough diagnostic services to tackle some of these emerging challenges,’’ she said.
Mrs Irabor explained that many military personnel had suffered physical injuries, as well as suppressed emotional trauma accumulated from experiences in the theatres of operation. The DEPOWA President pointed out that traits such as nightmares, anxiety, insomnia, outburst of anger etc are usually triggered in response to trauma and are therefore indicators of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Mrs Irabor solicited the collaboration and support of the Chief of Army Staff and other Service Chiefs to establish the state-of-the-art PTSD diagnostic centre.
According to her, the facility will also serve as a repository for future research on health challenges in the military so as to provide better solutions and support.
“With all these identified target support areas, we know we cannot go on this journey without your support and collaboration,’’ she said.
Troop’s morale
There is no doubt that the centre when completed would boost the morale of troops in frontline.
According to Aina, such centres ensure that soldiers and their families are in good mental state at all times
He said: “Wars have effects on soldiers and the society at large. The centre will no doubt offer opportunity for soldiers who suffer combat related mental illness such as Post Trauma Stress Disorder to come out and seek clinical help thereby boosting morale of troops. It will encourage and boost confidence of soldiers in frontline and their families.
“Aside boosting troops morale, it would also help soldiers overcome peer and societal pressure that come with PTSD. It would draw attention of commanders in battle field to mental condition of soldiers before and after deployment to battle zones.”
More benefits
The DEPOWA president, Barr Vickie Irabor earlier in her remarks, maintained that DEPOWA has evolved to become an organization focused on providing support to Wives of personnel and their families towards achieving a healthy military community.
She stated further that in line with her program tagged “Uniting Our Voices First” (UOVF), the Association is seeking the collaboration of the AFN to provide solutions to address the root causes of PTSD faced by personnel.
She said the proposed the establishment of a PTSD evaluation and rehabilitation centre would evaluate, counsel and provide adequate support to personnel and their spouses prior to reintegration at the end of their operational tour of duty from the various theatres of operations.
She emphasized that the objective is to ensure that military personnel return to their families in a psychologically and physically stable state.
CDS pledges support
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor has expressed the willingness of the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) to support and collaborate with the leadership of the DEPOWA towards executing humanitarian programmes that would be beneficial to families of military personnel. Prime among these projects is the establishment of PTSD centre for military personnel and families
The CDS made the pledge while playing host DEPOWA executives led by (Mrs) Irabor who had earlier paid a courtesy call on the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Abuja.
Gen Irabor recounted the traumatic experiences faced by troops in the operational theatres and commended the DEPOWA leadership for initiating the proposed PTSD project which he said would significantly shore up the fighting spirit and psychological well-being of personnel of the AFN.
The CDS who lamented that both troops and their families undergo emotional trauma in the task of defending and protecting the nation against adversaries further assured that the DHQ will support all feasible DEPOWA’s projects that are tailored towards helping humanity.
The Defence Chief used the opportunity to express appreciation to the DEPOWA members for keeping the home front and urged them to continue to serve as role models to other personnel’s spouses.
COAS too
Also, the COAS on his part commended the leadership of DEPOWA for championing initiatives that are geared towards ameliorating the problems that bothered on healthy living and improved living standards of military personnel.
He further added that the programmes have direct benefits on military families and the general public, adding that the NA would not relent in supporting the laudable humanitarian projects of the association.
