Forced Internal Displacement and Mental Wellbeing: An Anthropological Analysis of Invisible Scars and Resilience Pathways among Internally Displaced Persons in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Compulsory internal displacement has become one of the major socio-political and development challenges affecting communities in conflict-affected contexts. In Cameroon, the armed conflict in the North-West and South-West Regions has generated significant population movements, forcing many individuals and families to seek refuge in urban centres such as Yaoundé. While existing studies have largely examined displacement from humanitarian, security and psychological perspectives, this article adopts a development anthropology approach to analyse how forced displacement transforms social relations, livelihoods, cultural identity and mental wellbeing among internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Yaoundé VI. Drawing on qualitative ethnographic research involving internally displaced persons from the North-West and South-West Regions, the study explores the lived experiences of displacement and the social processes through which suffering, vulnerability and resilience are produced. The findings reveal that displacement signifies more than physical relocation; it constitutes a disruption of belonging, economic autonomy, cultural continuity and social status. Participants' narratives demonstrate that mental distress is deeply embedded within broader experiences of social suffering, livelihood loss and identity disruption. However, the study also highlights the agency of displaced populations through family networks, spirituality, community solidarity and adaptive economic strategies. By linking empirical experiences with social suffering theory, development anthropology, cultural identity theory and resilience theory, this article argues that mental wellbeing among displaced populations must be understood as a social, cultural and developmental issue rather than only an individual psychological condition.