KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND PRACTICES OF HUMANITARIAN WORKERS REGARDING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND THE RESILIENCE OF DISPLACED PEOPLE IN THE CONTEXT OF ARMED CONFLICT IN NORTH KIVU
Abstract
Purpose of the study: This study examined the knowledge, attitudes and practices of humanitarian workers regarding mental health and community resilience, and their relationship with the resilience levels of displaced persons in the Bulengo camp, North Kivu.
Statement of the problem: Armed conflicts continue to generate large-scale displacement and profound mental health challenges, particularly in fragile contexts such as North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Despite the central role of humanitarian organizations in crisis response, mental health and psychosocial support remain insufficiently integrated into humanitarian interventions.
Methodology: A quantitative cross-sectional design was adopted using a questionnaire survey. Data were collected from 80 humanitarian workers from 10 NGOs and 80 displaced persons in Bulengo through standardized instruments: the Humanitarian Knowledge Scale, the Mental Health Attitudes Scale, and the KV+ Resilience Scale. Non-probability sampling was used due to the high mobility of humanitarian workers and contextual constraints. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, t-tests, and linear regression in SPSS.
Findings: Results showed that humanitarian workers had generally low knowledge levels (M = 10.35, SD = 8.34), with a fragmented distribution across categories (χ² = 0.074, p > .05). Attitudes toward mental health were predominantly average (M = 119.08, SD = 11.65), with a significant predominance of moderate attitudes over negative ones (χ² = 7.20, p = .007). Engagement in community resilience activities was evenly distributed (50% yes; 50% no) and not significantly associated with attitudes (t = 1.63, p = .107). Displaced persons demonstrated predominantly low resilience (M = 61.18, SD = 13.03), with 55% classified as low and 20% as very low (χ², p = .001). A significant negative relationship was found between humanitarian knowledge and displaced persons’ resilience (r = −.408, R² = .166, p = .009), indicating that higher knowledge scores were associated with lower resilience levels. These findings suggest a possible gap between theoretical knowledge and effective resilience-building practice in humanitarian settings.
Conclusion: The study concludes that humanitarian workers in Bulengo camp exhibit fragmented knowledge and moderate attitudes toward mental health, while displaced persons demonstrate predominantly low resilience, highlighting a gap between humanitarian knowledge and the effective implementation of resilience-building practices in conflict-affected settings.
Recommendations: The study recommends strengthening capacity-building programs for humanitarian workers through structured training in mental health and psychosocial support to improve their practical ability to foster community resilience. The study also recommends that humanitarian organizations integrate coordinated, community-based resilience interventions and allocate adequate resources for mental health services within humanitarian response programs.
Keywords: North Kivu, humanitarian aid, mental health, community resilience, displaced persons.
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