Trauma & Triumph: The painful mental health recovery path of Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict victims.

But when the armed conflict erupted in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions, his dreams were suddenly swept away by the violence that engulfed his community. 

Fleeing to Douala in 2017, he found himself in an unfamiliar city - alone, broke, and deeply uncertain about what the future holds.

As the months passed, Ndi’s situation worsened. He could not continue his education or find employment. 

“Life became so hard that I thought I would die,” he recalled. Panic attacks and sleepless nights became routine. His mind, once full of ambition, was now consumed by fear and despair.

The prolonged conflict in Cameroon’s North West and South West Regions has left behind not just physical destruction but an alarming mental health crisis.

Survivors like Ndi John, Kingsly Neba, and Tumasang Magdalen, embody the silent toll of war, battling trauma, anxiety, and depression after losing families, homes, and dreams. 

Yet, institutions like the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) and DIBA Holistic Wellness Care are offering pathways to recovery through counseling, therapy, and psychosocial support. 

With trauma cases rising sharply since 2017, experts warn of a growing psychological emergency but remain hopeful as more survivors find healing and purpose. 

Their stories are a reminder that the road to peace must go beyond reconstruction, and must mend the invisible wounds of the mind.

Finding light in darkness

For Ndi, the turning point came when his family intervened. They took him back to the North West Region and brought him to the Mental Health Department at Mbingo Baptist Hospital, a facility under the CBCHS.

There, he began treatment, counselling, and therapy under the care of Ngwen Frankline Siekwiwoh, a mental health supervisor and department head at the hospital.

“I can say the crisis has really affected so many people, and myself. I was schooling and had my Advanced Level before things went sour. It triggered a lot of things in my life. Going to school became very tough, life was difficult for me and this affected me mentally. By then, I had no idea about mental health. I was so worried about my education and had to leave Fundong to Douala. While in Douala, things became worse. I tried and life became so difficult. It started affecting my mental health. I couldn't even do anything or work because I was so depressed. I was so afraid that at times, I even thought I would die. I thought I was epileptic,” says Ndi.

Under the guidance of Ngwen Franklin, Ndi slowly began to rebuild his mental health. Regular therapy sessions helped him manage panic attacks, and family support kept him grounded.

“Since I met Ngwen, things have changed. I started to understand what was going on with me. At one point, I was hospitalised because I had panic attacks. I followed the treatment and therapy talks and it really helped me. Everyone around me was afraid. But I thank God that my family was there for me. They helped take care of me and never walked away. It was thanks to their help and that of the medical experts that I quickly recovered,” Ndi said.

Now, Ndi acknowledges that he has fully recovered and he is happy with the life he is living. 

“After the treatment, I came back to my residence, and since then, I can do everything on my own. I am moving on with my life perfectly as I want. I am focusing on my ambition and I think everything is over. I even travel each time I want,” he recounts. 

Losing a father, finding healing

In another corner of the conflict-ravaged region, Kingsly Neba’s life took a devastating turn in 2018. At just 19, he witnessed his father, the family’s breadwinner, killed during a gun battle in their village, Bafut, in the North West Region.

“I saw my father’s body lying there, and something broke inside me,” Neba recounted. Fearing for his life, he fled to Bamenda, then later to Buea in the South West Region, where he found a menial job as a house help. But instead of finding safety, he was met with exploitation. “They never paid me, and I was constantly insulted,” he said.

The grief and humiliation became unbearable to the extent that the young boy became homeless and lived on the streets. It was only after his family intervened and took him to the hospital, and later to a trauma healing centre in Buea, that Neba began the long road to recovery. 

“For six months, I received therapy and counseling. The trauma experts helped me to open up about my pain,” he explained. 

“While with the experts, I had to narrate the whole story of how my dad was killed, what I went through while serving as a househelp, and my life after that on the streets,” he says. 

Thanks to that support, Neba is now thriving. He has enrolled in school and is pursuing a degree at the University of Buea. His resilience stands as a testament to the power of mental health care in restoring hope amid chaos.

From ashes to strength

While many survivors grapple with loss and displacement, others like Tumasang Magdalen, a business owner in the Mbengwi Road neighbourhood in Bamenda II Subdivision, have faced the horror of losing everything overnight.

On December 8, 2021, her home and business at Mbengwi Road, were among over twenty houses set ablaze by people she described as “men in military uniform.” 

As explosions and gunfire rang out that unfortunate afternoon, she grabbed her grandson and escaped through the back door, leaving behind everything she owned.

"It was at about 3:15 pm that I was inside with my grandson. I heard a huge explosion that sounded like a bomb. I fell on the ground and later heard gunshots all over. I later heard footsteps around my house and I saw military men who had taken over my house. Before I knew it, smoke was coming out of this building,” Tumasang narrated. 

“I could not go out because of the gunshots. I heard them speaking in French and I stayed mute with my grandson. In a blink of an eye, they came again with two gallons of petrol and I sneaked out through the backdoor with this child, and I saw my whole compound on fire.  My national ID card, my children's documents, certificates and computers all got burnt. I didn’t take out even a single dress from the house,” she went on.

For months, she and her family lived in the only section of her kitchen that was not burned. Seeing all her property daily as ashes, the trauma was immense. “I could not sleep. Every loud sound made me jump,” she said.

Eventually, experts from the Counseling and Clinic Center in Bamenda reached out to her. Through months of therapy and community support, Tumasang said she began to heal emotionally. 

Today, she lives with her husband and children in a rehabilitated home. Though the memories remain vivid and painful, she has found peace and solace again.

“They helped me accept what happened and I started all over. I am grateful because I can smile again today thanks to the therapy sessions and the numerous stories they told me,” she shared. 

The invisible epidemic

The World Health Organisation, in a 2025 report estimates that approximately 22 percent of individuals in conflict settings suffer from mental health disorders, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia. 

Making an inference of these estimates to the current displaced population in Cameroon, it is likely that over 220,000 people are experiencing moderate to severe mental health conditions. 

However, this number represents only those who are able to seek help, as experts argue that many others remain undiagnosed due to stigma, limited access to services, and cultural misunderstandings of mental health issues. 

Reports suggest that the mental health system in Cameroon is inadequate to meet the needs of the population. According to the WHO Mental Health Atlas of 2020, the country has fewer than 500 mental health professionals to serve a population of over 28 million people, and mental health services are concentrated primarily in urban centers such as Yaounde and Douala. This leaves rural and conflict-affected regions like the North West and South West largely underserved.

According to Ngwen, the mental health crisis in Cameroon’s conflict-hit regions has intensified dramatically since 2017. 

“We’ve seen a steady and alarming increase in cases since the conflict began,” he said.

The expert revealed that the Mental Health Department at the CBCHS recorded a total of 14,586 trauma cases related to the armed conflict in 2024.

Further statistics from him show that as of September 2025, CBCHS’s Mental Health Department had attended to 16,961 victims of the conflict and managed over 93,000 cases in general across its six operating centers. 

Ngwen said the most common diagnoses included depression (46,621 cases), psychosis (7,143), and post-traumatic stress and anxiety disorders (1,136). The figures represent a 16.9 percent increase from the same period in 2024.

“Most victims are women and youth. People fear being labeled as mentally unstable or weak, so they hide their pain until it’s too late,” Ngwen said, noting that stigma remains one of the biggest barriers to seeking help.

To combat this, the expert stated that CBCHS has launched extensive community awareness campaigns, free screening programs, and training for primary health care providers across its network.

The expert noted that every person living with a brain is exposed to mental health issues. He added that the situation is worse for those who live in conflict areas. 

“As long as you have a brain, you are a potential victim. But healing is possible, especially when people talk, connect, and seek help.” he advised.

In the South West region, DIBA Holistic Wellness Care is also playing a crucial role in healing the psychological scars of the conflict. Founded in 2019 by Nguty Stella, the organisation focuses on psychotherapy, preventive mental health, and holistic healing.

Since 2021, Nguty says DIBA has supported more than 150,000 victims of the conflict, 50 percent of them women, 30 percent youth, and 20 percent men, many of whom she said are internally displaced persons who fled from severe conflict communities.

Through community workshops, support groups, and one-on-one therapy sessions, DIBA’s counselors have helped survivors of violence, abuse, and loss rebuild their lives. 

One of their clients, a young woman who once described herself as “hopeless and useless,” is now running a successful business and is in a loving relationship.

Another, a young man who lost his mother in the conflict, has regained stability and is helping others through volunteerism.

“We don’t just treat symptoms. We help people rediscover their self-worth and purpose, and bring them back to normal life. We’ve trained over 2,000 community advocates. They go into neighborhoods and identify those silently suffering. Healing is not just clinical, it’s communal,” Nguty explained.

Fighting stigma, healing the future 

Despite growing awareness, mental health remains a taboo subject in many Cameroonian communities. For decades, discussions about depression or trauma have been dismissed as weakness or “spiritual attacks.”

Experts like Ngwen emphasise the need to normalise conversations around mental health. “It’s time to end the stigma. Mental illness is not a curse. It’s a condition that can be treated like any other.”

To that end, CBCHS and DIBA are collaborating with schools, churches, and media outlets to integrate mental health education into everyday life. They encourage survivors to share their stories publicly, just as Ndi now does to inspire others to seek help.

Experts like Ngwen and Nguty have advised that the population must adopt strategies to cope. These include avoiding alcohol, cigarettes and focusing on recreational activities, physical exercise, also sharing their problems to others, thinking healthy and positive.

As Cameroon continues to grapple with the aftermath of its protracted Anglophone conflict, mental health advocates say the path to national recovery must include psychological healing.

The invisible scars of trauma, they argue, are just as destructive as the ruins of burned homes or the echoes of gunfire. Without addressing them, the cycle of pain and instability may continue for generations.

For survivors like Ndi John, Kingsly Neba, and Tumasang, healing has been both painful and transformative. Their journeys from despair to recovery reflect the quiet strength of a people determined to reclaim their inner peace.

This article was produced as a result of a grant provided by the Cameroon Association of English-speaking Journalists (CAMASEJ) as part of a project funded by Open Society Foundations.