Peer-reviewed article
Trauma symptoms and their correlates among Zimbabwean adolescents: Baseline results from a cluster randomized controlled trial
Colleen M. Fisher, Roswitta Gatsi, Natasha Venables, Regina Banda, Sarah Moore et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5This study looked at trauma symptoms among Zimbabwean adolescents as part of the baseline stage of a larger trial testing a workshop program called Singing to the Lions. Over 1,300 students aged 12-18 from 13 schools were surveyed about trauma symptoms and resilience factors like self-esteem, hope, and social support. Girls reported significantly more trauma symptoms than boys. Adolescents with higher self-esteem, hope, self-calming ability, and social support reported fewer trauma symptoms, though self-efficacy showed no link. The findings show high levels of trauma among Zimbabwean youth and highlight the need for mental health support tailored to the local context.
Key points
- Youth endorsed an average of 7.6 out of 18 possible trauma symptoms
- Girls had significantly higher trauma symptom rates than boys (p = .0007)
- Trauma symptoms were inversely correlated with self-esteem, hope, self-calming, and social support
- No association was found between trauma symptoms and self-efficacy
- No significant differences in trauma symptoms were found by age, grade, or rural/urban location
Limitations
This is only baseline data from before the intervention was delivered, so it does not show whether the Singing to the Lions program actually reduces trauma symptoms.
Abstract
Adolescent mental health is an urgent global priority, yet services remain severely inaccessible throughout Southern Africa. Zimbabwean youth are particularly vulnerable to mental health challenges from adverse childhood experiences including food insecurity, sexual and emotional violence, climate change-induced disasters, and national economic difficulties but research is extremely limited. To address this gap, this study examined trauma symptoms and resilience among a large school-based sample of urban and rural Zimbabwean adolescents. A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the impact of Singing to the Lions, a biopsychosocial workshop for trauma-affected youth in Zimbabwe. Adolescents were randomized by school (n = 13) to an immediate intervention arm or waitlist control arm. Baseline data, including adolescents' demographics, trauma symptoms, and resilience characteristics were analyzed to investigate the prevalence of trauma symptoms and that association with resilience characteristics. The baseline sample (n = 1,342) ranged in age from 12-18 years (x-=14.8); the majority of children were girls (54.6%) and rural (52.4%). Of 18 possible trauma symptoms, youth endorsed an average of 7.6 trauma symptoms (SD = 4.5) with significantly higher rates among girls (t[1325]=3.39, p = .0007). Trauma symptoms were significantly inversely correlated with resilience characteristics including self-esteem (r = -.36, p < .001), hope (r = -.07, p = .01), self-calming (r = -.30, p < .001), and social support (r = -.23, p < .001); however, there was no association between symptoms and self-efficacy. No statistically significant differences in trauma symptom prevalence were found based on children's age, grade, or community (rural versus urban). The high prevalence of trauma symptoms and expressions of trauma found in this study are consistent with the limited previous adolescent mental health research from Sub-Saharan Africa. Results contribute to the sparse knowledge base on trauma-affected youth and adolescent mental health in Zimbabwe more broadly and highlight the need for evidence-based practices that are culturally grounded and contextually specific for the region.