Posttraumatic Stress Disorder among University Students of Mosul, Iraq : An After Effect of War Atrocities

People in Mosul, Iraq faced many acts of violence between 2014 and 2017 when the city was seized by the terrorist group of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). We aimed to determine the prevalence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among university students in Mosul. This cross-sectional study was conducted between the period of 15 April and 29 December 2020. Data were collected from 305 university students by face-to-face interview. The Iraqi modified version of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was used to assess the prevalence and degree of PTSD symptoms. The mean age of the participants was 21.46 ± 2.76 years; 224 (73.4%) of the students were females and 259 (84.9%) were single. 12% of the students met the threshold criteria for symptoms of PTSD. Symptoms were associated with the type of injury and frequency of traumatic events experienced. This lower rate than expected for those who had been exposed to life-threatening and violent war warrants further studies to identify the attributing factors and preventive measures.