Internal Displacement: Relationship of mental health and education of children in Swat, Pakistan

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Internal displacement causes mental health problems and effect education of school going children. This study intended to find the relationship between mental health problems and education of children displaced during violence in Swat Pakistan. METHODS: This is quantitative co-relational study conducted in Swat, Pakistan during October 2017 to June 2018. The population of the study constitutes all the students of 25 high schools destroyed during violence. Child PTSD symptom scale, Siddiqui-Shah Depression Scale and Beck Anxiety Inventory were used to collect data from the sample (712) students. RESULTS: High level of PTSD, depression and anxiety were found in female students and those who were not attending schools during displacement. PTSD and depression have negatively affected academic achievements of female students and those students who were out of schools irrespective of their gender. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that internal displacement causes mental health problems in children which can be minimize through education to a great extent.