SynthesisPloS one2022
Prevalence of depression in Uganda: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07774793 (Randomized Controlled Trial of a Relaxation Intervention to Improve Newborn Growth and Maternal Well-being), which is not on this map. Cited by 57 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Randomized Controlled Trial of a Relaxation Intervention to Improve Newborn Growth and Maternal Well-being
Who cites it
57 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 63 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Trial
- Sex Work Stigma as a Partial Mediator Between Social Support and Depressive Symptoms Among Vulnerable Women Engaged in Sex Work in Southern Uganda.AIDS and behavior · 2026Trial
- Six-Week Problem Area-Concordant vs 8-Week Problem Area-Discordant Group Interpersonal Psychotherapy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.JAMA network open · 2025Trial
- The long-term impact of family economic empowerment on viral suppression and mental health outcomes among adolescents living with HIV in low-income settings: A cluster-randomized controlled trial in Southern Uganda.Social science & medicine (1982) · 2025Trial
- A community case detection tool to promote help-seeking for mental health care among children and adolescents in Ugandan refugee settlements: a stepped wedge cluster randomised trial.The Lancet. Child & adolescent health · 2024Trial
- Combining Asset Accumulation and Multifamily Group Intervention to Improve Mental Health for Adolescent Girls: A Cluster-Randomized Trial in Uganda.The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine · 2024Trial
- Prevalence and correlates of depression among older persons in rural eastern Uganda: a cross-sectional survey.Global health action · 2026Article
- Risk factors for major depressive disorder among adults recruited from hospital settings in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa.Nature communications · 2026Article
- Association Between Alcohol Use, CD4 Count, and Depressive Symptoms Among People with HIV with Viral Load Suppressed in Southwestern Uganda.AIDS and behavior · 2026Article
- Correlates of traditional medicine utilization among school-going adolescents and young adults with mental disorders in central and eastern Uganda: a cross-sectional survey.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2026Article
- Prevalence and factors associated with depression among junior police officers in Kampala metropolitan area.Discover mental health · 2026Article
- Prevalence of Depression and Suicidality Among Children and Adolescents with Sickle Cell Anaemia in Eastern Uganda.Research square · 2026Article
- Article
- Peer Mentor Training and Supervision for a Digital Adolescent Depression Treatment in South Africa and Uganda: Mixed Methods Evaluation.JMIR mental health · 2026Article
- Wellness4Students Program to Mitigate Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Makerere University Students in Uganda: Protocol for a Longitudinal Study.JMIR research protocols · 2026Article
- Using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale to Assess Suicidality Among Young Women in the Urban Slums of Kampala Uganda: Baseline Findings from the TOPOWA Cohort Study.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Intimate partner violence, social support, and depression among women living with HIV in Wakiso District, central Uganda: findings from a sequential mixed-methods study.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Intimate partner violence typology and major depressive disorder among postpartum adolescents in Central Uganda: a cross-sectional study.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 5 institutions in 4 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDepression is one of the most studied mental health disorders, with varying prevalence rates reported across study populations in Uganda. A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to determine the pooled prevalence of depression and the prevalence of depression across different study populations in the country.
methodsPapers for the review were retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, PsycINFO, African Journal OnLine, and Google Scholar databases. All included papers were observational studies regarding depression prevalence in Uganda, published before September 2021. The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies was used to evaluate the risk of bias and quality of the included papers, and depression pooled prevalence was determined using a random-effects meta-analysis.
resultsA total of 127 studies comprising 123,859 individuals were identified. Most studies were conducted among individuals living with HIV (n = 43; 33.9%), and the most frequently used instrument for assessing depression was the Depression sub-section of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (n = 34). The pooled prevalence of depression was 30.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 26.7-34.1, I2 = 99.80, p<0.001). The prevalence of depression was higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than during the pre-pandemic period (48.1% vs. 29.3%, p = 0.021). Refugees had the highest prevalence of depression (67.6%; eight studies), followed by war victims (36.0%; 12 studies), individuals living with HIV (28.2%; 43 studies), postpartum or pregnant mothers (26.9%; seven studies), university students (26.9%; four studies), children and adolescents (23.6%; 10 studies), and caregivers of patients (18.5%; six studies). LIMITATION: Significantly high levels of heterogeneity among the studies included.
conclusionAlmost one in three individuals in Uganda has depression, with the refugee population being disproportionately affected. Targeted models for depression screening and management across various populations across the country are recommended.
trial registrationProtocol registered with PROSPERO (CRD42022310122).
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.