Browsing by Author "Musanje, Khamisi"

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    Associations of psychological inflexibility with posttraumatic stress disorder and adherence to COVID-19 control measures among refugees in Uganda: The moderating role of coping strategies.
    (Journal of Contextual Behavioral Science., 2023) Baluku, Martin Mabunda; Nansubuga, Florence; Kibanja, Grace Milly; Ouma, Samuel; Balikoowa, Richard; Nansamba, Joyce; Ruto, Grace; Kawooya, Kenneth; Musanje, Khamisi
    Refugees are vulnerable to developing mental health problems. The unprecedented appearance and rapid spread of COVID-19 exacerbated this vulnerability, especially in low-income countries where refugees survive on humanitarian aid and live in congested settlements. These appalling living conditions are a stressor, making adherence to COVID-19 control measures impractical and an additional psychological strain for refugees. The present study examined how psychological inflexibility is associated with adherence to COVID-19 control measures. A sample of 352 refugees from Kampala City and Bidibidi settlements were recruited. Refugees with high levels of psychological inflexibility reported higher PTSD symptom severity and low adherence to COVID-19 control measures. Moreover, PTSD severity mediated the association between psychological inflexibility and adherence, while avoidance coping moderated both direct and indirect effects. Interventions for reducing psychological inflexibility and avoidance coping may be essential in boosting adherence to measures relevant to the current and future status of the pandemic, along with other crises that refugees face.
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    Culturally adapting a mindfulness and acceptance-based intervention to support the mental health of adolescents on antiretroviral therapy in Uganda
    (PLOS Global Public Health, 2023) Musanje, Khamisi; Camlin, Carol S.; Kamya, Moses R.; Kirabo, Hope; Nangendo, Joan; Kiweewa, John; White, Ross G.; Kasujja, Rosco
    The dual burden of living with HIV and negotiating life stage changes has been identified as a contributing factor to lapsed adherence among adolescents with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. While psychosocial support can promote medication adherence, most interventions in use with adolescents were originally developed for the general population creating a gap in appropriate support. Life-stage-appropriate, evidence-based psychosocial support interventions have been used with young people in high-income contexts, prompting interest in their use in low-income contexts. However, many interventions are less effective when implemented outside of their original settings, hence the need for modifications before implementation. We aimed to culturally adapt an evidence-based psychosocial support intervention designed to improve the mental health of young people for use among adolescents with HIV in a sub-Saharan African context and to explore the acceptability of the adapted intervention among adolescents. We engaged thirty stakeholders (n = 30) in Kampala, Uganda including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, HIV counselors, religious leaders and adolescent peers from December 2021 to April 2022 to modify an evidence-based intervention for adolescents. Key adaptations included simplifying the language, adding local practices, integrating locally relevant slang and stories into therapy, introducing racially-congruent visuals and cards representing emotions, and adjusting therapy materials for use in resource-constrained settings. We then tested the acceptability of the intervention in a small sample of service users using a qualitative approach. We recruited nine adolescents with HIV from a participating clinic in Kampala, delivered six 90-minute sessions of the adapted intervention across three weeks and conducted in-depth interviews to assess the acceptability of the intervention. We used thematic analysis to analyze the qualitative data. The adapted intervention was perceived as acceptable among adolescents with HIV, with many stating that it helped them overcome fears, increased their self-acceptance, and gave them the confidence to make careful health-enhancing decisions.
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    Entrepreneurial Socialization and Psychological Capital: Cross-Cultural and Multigroup Analyses of Impact of Mentoring, Optimism, and Self-Efficacy on Entrepreneurial Intentions
    (Entrepreneurship Education and Pedagogy, 2019) Baluku, Martin M.; Matagi, Leonsio; Musanje, Khamisi; Kikooma, Julius F.; Otto, Kathleen
    This study demonstrates that psychological capital is essential in the process of developing and strengthening entrepreneurial intentions. We specifically investigate the mediating roles of optimism and self-efficacy facets of psychological capital in the relationship between entrepreneurial mentoring and intentions. The study was conducted among 1,272 young persons from Germany and East Africa (Uganda and Kenya). These included 784 final year university students and 488 wage employed. A multigroup analysis was applied to test for the effects of employment status and country differences. Results indicate that mentoring, optimism, and self-efficacy are positively correlated with entrepreneurial intentions. Findings also supported the hypothesized-mediated mediation model that mentoring impacts on entrepreneurial intentions through optimism and self-efficacy. The association of entrepreneurial mentoring on intentions was higher among the Germany participants than in the East African sample as well as among the students compared with employed individuals. Practical and theoretical implications of our findings are discussed
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    Experiences and effects of HIV-related stigma among youth living with HIV/AIDS in Western Uganda: A photovoice study
    (PloS one, 2020) Kimera, Emmanuel; Vindevogel, Sofie; Kintu, Mugenyi Justice; Rubaihayo, John; Musanje, Khamisi; Bilsen, Johan
    HIV-related stigma has been identified as a significant stressor affecting Quality of Life of Youth Living With HIV/AIDS (YLWHA). Gaining a contextualized understanding of how this stigma is experienced by YLWHA in Western Uganda is crucial in addressing it in this group and setting. In this study, we explored the lived experiences of YLWHA with HIV-related stigma. Photovoice was used to gain insight into the lived experiences of HIV-related stigma in 11 YLWHA (15–19 years), purposively selected from a hospital-based peer support group. Group interview transcripts, notes and photographs were subjected to phenomenological hermeneutic analysis. Encounters with enacted, anticipated and internalized stigmas and their myriad sequels were prevalent in the photos and narratives of participants. Our findings were categorized and presented in 5 main themes that were identified through the analysis: being devalued, experiencing fear, experiencing injustices, feeling lonely, and lacking future perspectives. HIV-related stigmas were experienced in various socio-ecological domains but predominantly in homes and schools that ought to be supportive surroundings for youths. A multilevel approach, targeting the entire society where the root causes of stigma can be found and specific contexts like schools and homes where youth are confronted with stigma on a daily basis is proposed for a wholistic intervention.
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    Policy Brief on Refugee Entrepreneurship and Skilling in Uganda
    (RES, 2021) Baluku, Martin M.; Nansubuga, Florence; Nantamu, Simon; Musanje, Khamisi; Kawooya, Kenneth
    Uganda is one of the refugee hosting nations, ranking 4th in 20201 behind Turkey, Colombia, and Parkistan (UNHCR, 2021a). This situation is not new to Uganda. Emigration history indicates that Uganda has been a preferred destination for refugees since the 1940s (Mulumba, 2014). Since then, the number of refugees in Uganda has been gradually increasing. Currently, Uganda hosts over 1.48 million refugees and asylum seeks (UNHCR, 2021b) in about 11 locations including Bidibidi, Adjumani, Kyangwali, Nakivale, Kyaka II, Rhino camp, Palorinya, Kampala, Imvepi, Kiryandongo, Rwamwanja, Palabek, Oruchinga, and Lobule2 . Whereas Uganda has in the past hosted refugees from different parts of the world including Europe (Mulumba, 2014), majority of the current refugee population come from neighboring countries including South Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, and Somalia (UNHCR, 2021b; Hakiza, 2014) who flee from war, poverty, hunger, and other forms of misery. Uganda’s attractiveness to refugees could be attributed to the country’s policies and culture that is friendly to foreigners. The present influx of especially South Sudanese refugees into the country starting from 2013 has given rise to the complex challenge of how to integrate the increasing number of refugees and ignited debate on feasibility of refugee policy (Hovil, 2018). Despite the attractiveness of Uganda to refugees, they face a number of unique psychosocial challenges including crowding in settlements, trauma of forced migration, and acculturation among others.