Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37168525›Full record

ArticleJournal of global health reports2022

Mental disorders and lack of social support among refugees and Ugandan nationals screening for HIV at health centers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement in southwestern Uganda.

Robin E Klabbers, Scholastic Ashaba, Joshua Stern, Zikama Faustin, Alexander C Tsai, Julius Kasozi, Andrew Kambugu, Peter Ventevogel, Ingrid V Bassett, Kelli N O'Laughlin

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of global health reports, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 31% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 6 institutions in 3 countries.

Robin E KlabbersDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Scholastic AshabaMbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
Joshua SternDepartment of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
Zikama FaustinBugema University, Kampala, Uganda.
Alexander C TsaiMbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda.
Julius KasoziUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Kampala, Uganda.
Andrew KambuguInfectious Diseases Institute, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda.
Peter VentevogelPublic Health Section, Division of Resilience and Solutions, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Geneva, Switzerland.
Ingrid V BassettMongan Institute, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Kelli N O'LaughlinDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.
University of Washington · USHarvard University · USOffice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees · CHBugema University · UGInfectious Diseases Institute · UGMbarara University of Science and Technology · UG

Funding

University of Washington/Fred Hutch Center for AIDS ResearchP30AI027757 · NIAID · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI CONNIE L CELUM · 1988 to 2026
$104.9M
Mentoring in patient-oriented research on HIV prevention in the US and South AfricaK24AI141036 · NIAID · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · PI Ingrid Valerie Bassett · 2019 to 2026
$1.1M
Linking Refugees to HIV Clinical Care in UgandaK23MH108440 · NIMH · UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON · PI O'LAUGHLIN, KELLI NICOLE · 2016 to 2020
$990k
NIAID NIH HHS K24 AI141036NIAID NIH HHS P30 AI027757NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH108440
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Exposure to potentially traumatic events and daily stressors in humanitarian settings puts refugees and asylum seekers (henceforth collectively referred to as refugees) at increased risk for mental disorders. Little is known about how mental disorder prevalence compares between refugees and national populations who live in the same settings and are exposed to many of the same daily challenges. We aimed to compare the proportions of refugees and Ugandan nationals screening positive for mental disorders in a Ugandan refugee settlement to inform targeted health interventions. Given displacement's disruptive effect on social networks and the importance of social support for mental health, we also aimed to assess social support. Methods: Refugees and Ugandan nationals voluntarily testing for HIV at health centers in Nakivale Refugee Settlement were screened for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD CheckList-6 - Civilian Version [PCL-6]), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7]), and lack of social support (Brief Social Support Scale [BS6]). The association between refugee versus Ugandan national status and the four outcomes was assessed using log-binomial regression. Results: Screening surveys were completed by 5,513 participants, including 3,622 refugees and 1,891 Ugandan nationals. A positive screen for PTSD, depression, anxiety and lack of social support was found for 2,388 (44%), 1,337 (25%), 1,241 (23%) and 631 (12%) participants, respectively. Refugee status was associated with a higher prevalence of a positive screen for PTSD (prevalence ratio [PR] 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-1.23), depression (PR: 1.22; 95% CI: 1.11-1.36), anxiety (PR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.14-1.42), and lack of social support (PR: 1.50; 95% CI: 1.27-1.78). When adjusted for the other outcomes, the higher prevalence of a positive screen for PTSD, anxiety and lack of social support for refugees remained statistically significant. Conclusions: Elevated symptoms of mental disorders are found among refugees and Ugandan nationals testing for HIV in Nakivale Refugee Settlement. The significant association between refugee status and PTSD, anxiety and lack of social support symptoms highlights the distinct needs of this population. To determine the prevalence of mental disorders in these populations, comprehensive assessment, including psychological and neuropsychological testing, is needed.

Indexed as

anxietydepressionhumanitarian contextmental healthPTSD

Identifiers

PMID37168525
PMCPMC10168545
OpenAlexW4309560674

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.