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Conflict and Health
Published in: Conflict and Health 1/2009

Open Access 01-12-2009 | Research

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

Authors: Lamaro P Onyut, Frank Neuner, Verena Ertl, Elisabeth Schauer, Michael Odenwald, Thomas Elbert

Published in: Conflict and Health | Issue 1/2009

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Abstract

Background

The 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.

Methods

The Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS) and the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 were used to screen for posttraumatic stress disorder and depression.

Results

Thirty 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).

Conclusion

Mental 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.
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Metadata
Title
Trauma, poverty and mental health among Somali and Rwandese refugees living in an African refugee settlement – an epidemiological study
Authors
Lamaro P Onyut
Frank Neuner
Verena Ertl
Elisabeth Schauer
Michael Odenwald
Thomas Elbert
Publication date
01-12-2009
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Conflict and Health / Issue 1/2009
Electronic ISSN: 1752-1505
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1752-1505-3-6

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