War Trauma and Disinformation Susceptibility in Peacebuilding: Strategic Communication and Psychological Resilience in Odi, Nigeria
Keywords:
War-Related Trauma, Disinformation Susceptibility, Strategic Communication, Psychological Resilience, PeacebuildingAbstract
Post-conflict communities are particularly vulnerable to disinformation because traumatic conflict experiences, institutional distrust, and fragmented communication environments influence how information is interpreted during peacebuilding. Although previous studies have examined trauma, misinformation, and strategic communication independently, limited evidence explains how these processes interact within African post-conflict settings. This qualitative case study investigated the association between war-related trauma and disinformation susceptibility in Odi, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, while examining the roles of strategic communication and psychological resilience in shaping information judgment. Data were collected in February 2025 through semi-structured interviews with 53 conflict-affected adults selected purposively from a target population of 72 residents. Documentary evidence comprising radio scripts, community flyers, town hall speeches, and other peace communication materials complemented the interviews. Reflexive thematic analysis and critical discourse analysis were integrated through pattern matching. Participants described enduring conflict memories as influencing threat appraisal, trust calibration, and verification behaviour, increasing receptivity to emotionally charged false claims. Conversely, structured peace messages delivered through trusted local intermediaries encouraged reflective information processing, greater verification, and stronger coping practices. Community cohesion, educational experience, media saturation, and conflict severity moderated these responses. The study advances theory by integrating trauma psychology, cognitive processing, strategic communication, and resilience within a single qualitative framework for explaining disinformation susceptibility in post-conflict settings. It also contributes context-specific African evidence to international debates on trauma-informed peacebuilding and communication.
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