CHANGES IN MENTAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOLLOWING PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT AMONG ADOLESCENTS WHO SURVIVED SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN YAOUNDÉ, CAMEROON

Sexual violence during adolescence is associated with substantial psychological consequences, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, depressive symptoms, sleep disturbances, social withdrawal and suicidal ideation. This study assessed changes in mental health outcomes among adolescents who survived sexual violence and received psychosocial support in Yaoundé, Cameroon. A quantitative single-group before–after study was conducted among 60 adolescents aged 10–19 years receiving psychosocial support through the Réseau National des Associations de Tantines (RENATA). Post-traumatic stress symptoms were assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R), and depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). Paired t-tests were used for continuous outcomes and McNemar tests for categorical outcomes. The mean IES-R score decreased from 41.3±8.4 to 22.1±6.3 (p<0.001), while the mean BDI-II score decreased from 24.7±7.1 to 13.8±5.8 (p<0.001). Sleep disturbances decreased from 81.7% to 33.3%, social isolation from 71.7% to 26.7%, and suicidal ideation from 28.3% to 6.7%. Greater improvement was associated with regular participation in group sessions, satisfactory family support, longer follow-up and earlier access to care. Because there was no control group, the observed changes cannot be interpreted as definitive evidence of a causal intervention effect.