INCIDENCE OF ANXIETY AMONG FLOOD VICTIMS IN SOME SELECTED COMMUNITIES IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study investigated the incidence of anxiety among flood victims in communities in Rivers State. One research question and one hypothesis were used to guide the study, which employed a descriptive survey design.

The population of the study consisted of 830,000 victims of flood disaster in 4 local government areas (LGAs) in Rivers State: Abua/Odual, Ahoada East, Ahoada West, and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni. A sample of 450 flood victims was selected using the Taro Yamane formula and a stratified random sampling technique.

Data were collected using a 10-item questionnaire called the "Incidence of Anxiety among Rivers State Flood Victims Questionnaire" (IARSFVQ), which was face and content validated and had a Cronbach alpha reliability index of 0.71. Out of the 450 copies of the questionnaire administered, 383 (85.1%) were retrieved.

The research question was answered using mean and standard deviation, while the hypothesis was tested using one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the flood victims felt irritated, angered, and afraid of their future, among other reactions. The results also showed no significant difference in the respondents' opinions on the incidence of anxiety among flood victims in the communities.

The study recommends that flood victims be provided with immediate counseling services to minimize the effect of anxiety on them.