Trauma, poverty and mental health among Somali and Rwandese refugees living in an African refugee settlement – an epidemiological study

Abstract

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression among Rwandese and Somali refugees resident in a Ugandan refugee settlement, as a measure of the mental health consequences of armed conflict, as well as to inform a subsequent mental health outreach program. The study population comprised a sample from 14400 (n = 519 Somali and n = 906 Rwandese) refugees resident in Nakivale refugee settlement in South Western Uganda during the year 2003.MethodsThe Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 were used to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.ResultsThirty two percent of the Rwandese and 48.1% of the Somali refugees were found to suffer from PTSD. The Somalis refugees had a mean of 11.95 (SD = 6.17) separate traumatic event types while the Rwandese had 8.86 (SD = 5.05). The Somalis scored a mean sum score of 21.17 (SD = 16.19) on the PDS while the Rwandese had a mean sum score of 10.05 (SD = 9.7).ConclusionMental health consequences of conflict remain long after the events are over, and therefore mental health intervention is as urgent for post-conflict migrant populations as physical health and other emergency interventions. A mental health outreach program was initiated based on this study.

Prevalence of Depression in Iraqi Refugees Children Living in Kalar Camps

“…To this end, a sample was chosen from Tazade and Quratoo camps, based on Morgan Table. The findings revealed that depression disorder is so prevalent in these children that 56% of them suffer from different degrees of depression. These results agree with findings of previous studies (Fazel, 2005;Bogic, et al, 2015;Boehnlein, et al, 2004, andOnyut, et al, 2009). After the attack of so called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria group (ISIS) to different Iraqi cities, the number of refugees entering Kurdistan realm was increased.…”

“…The 12-month prevalence of major depression is reported in 7% of the American people, and the number of female patients is 1.5 to 3 times more than males (Segal, et al, 2002). Although all people are prone to suffer from psychological disorders, it is especially more common in the homeless, jobless, illiterate, violence victims, harassed women, and neglected senior citizens (Onyut et al, 2009). The same pattern can be found in Iraq, but the several decades of war and civil conflicts have increased the depression rate to 4.7%, as one the countries with the highest depression prevalence (Al-Hamzawi, et al, 2015).…”

Dissemination of Psychotherapy for Trauma Spectrum Disorders in Postconflict Settings: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rwanda

“…The instruments were interpreted from English into Kinyarwanda, an official language of Rwanda, with the help of 5 students of English interpreting at the National University of Rwanda. The interpreters had been trained in the clinical concept and symptom clusters of PTSD using the PSS-I validated in Kinyarwanda [31]. The CAPS interviewers were N.J., S.S., A.M., and 4 other experts who were postgraduate level collaborators from the University of Konstanz or from the nongovernmental organization vivo.…”

A Sequential Explanatory Mixed Method Study to Identify Human Rights Violations and Asses the Psychosocial Health Status of the Internally Displaced Women of North-West Pakistan

“…On the cross analysis of the global total scores of the participants on the GHQ 28 with their age groups it was found that the participants below the age of 35 years and above the age of 55 years were having mean scores of more than 20 with the participants above the age of 75 years having the highest mean score of 26 participants on the GHQ 28 with their education level it was found that the participants who were graduates or having an intermediate level of education were having mean scores of 6 and 5 respectively while the participants having education level of matric or below were having mean scores of more than 20 as shown in table 4. On the cross analysis of the global total scores of the participants on the GHQ 28 with their area of origin it was found that the participants belonging to Bajaur Agency were having mean score of more than 20 while the participants belonging to Momand Agency and Malakand division were having mean scores of less than 20 as shown in table 4.…”

“…According to a survey in the Indian Kashmir valley, the ongoing conflict in the valley had a huge toll on the psychosocial health of the population with over one third of the participants having symptoms of psychological distress and majority of them being women [25]. According to an epidemiological study, 48% of the Somali and 32% of Rwandese refugees living in a refugee settlement were found to be suffering from PTSD [26]. In another study on the mental health status of the people displaced from Bosnia and Herzegovina due to conflict, mental health challenges were found to be present in more than 41% of those displaced [27].…”