Cameroon's war-torn North West region faces a serious mental health crisis among adolescents that hasn't received enough research attention. Our work looks at how the ongoing Anglophone crisis affects displaced teens' psychological wellbeing, studying both what puts them at risk and how they cope. The study used two key theories - Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory and Lazarus and Folkman's stress coping model - to understand how the conflict disrupts teens' lives and what helps them adapt. For this study, the study combined survey data from 366 displaced adolescents (getting responses from nearly 92% of those asked) with in-depth focus group discussions. The study carefully selected participants from displaced communities and analyzed the information using both statistics and thematic methods. The results paint a troubling picture: about two-thirds of teens showed signs of mental health disorders. School disruptions (average score 4.21/5), family separation (4.15), and constant fear of violence (4.18) emerged as major stressors. Negative attitudes about mental health (3.72) made things even harder. But there's hope - teens relied on their faith (4.12), family support (3.98), and community ties (3.75) to get through tough times. These findings show the study urgently need trauma-sensitive support in conflict areas. The study suggests building mental health services into schools and camps, training local health workers, and working with religious leaders to reduce stigma. This research offers practical ways to help teens in Cameroon and other crisis zones, showing that while war takes a heavy psychological toll, culturally appropriate coping methods - combined with systemic support - can foster recovery.
Adolescent mental health, Conflict-affected communities, psychological resilience and Trauma-informed interventions
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