TITLE:
Refugee Stigma and Its Association with Depression Symptom Severity: Findings from Urban Refugees Living in Mbarara City, Southwestern Uganda
AUTHORS:
Ronald Bahati, Herbert Elvis Ainamani, Scholastic Ashaba, Cathy Denise Sigmund, Godfrey Zari Rukundo
KEYWORDS:
Depression, Stigma, Urban Refugees, Southwestern Uganda
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Psychiatry,
Vol.12 No.4,
September
16,
2022
ABSTRACT: Introduction: Refugees
in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotypes that impact their mental well-being. The
aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of stigma and its
association with depressive symptoms among urban refugees living in Mbarara
city, southwestern Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study used snowball
sampling and interviewed 343 refugees residing in Mbarara city, southwestern
Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale was used to assess stigma, whereas the
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depression symptoms
severity. Linear regression models determined the associations between
stigma and depression symptoms severity. Data were collected between June 2019
and March 2020. Findings: Of the 343 participants, 198 were males and 145 were females; their mean age was 28.8 years (SD = 11.0). Most of the participants (95.3%) had attained formal education. Our
findings show that 84% (n = 288) of the participants had symptoms of stigma. Stigma had a
statistically significant positive association with depressive symptoms
severity (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.15). Age had statistically significant
positive association with depression symptoms severity (b = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.14). Education level
had a statistically significant negative association with depressive symptoms
severity (b = -0.53; 95% CI, -0.97 to -0.09). Conclusions: Urban refugees experience high levels of both
stigma and depression. Interventions aimed at reducing stigma could
subsequently reduce depression among refugees living in urban areas.