Exploring The Mental Health And Psychosocial Problems Of Congolese Refugees Living In Refugee Settings In Rwanda And Uganda: A Rapid Qualitative Study

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dc.contributor.authorChiumento, Anna
dc.contributor.authorRutayisire, Theoneste
dc.contributor.authorSarabwe, Emmanuel
dc.contributor.authorHasan, Tasdik
dc.contributor.authorKasujja, Rosco
dc.contributor.authorNabirinde, Rachel
dc.contributor.authorMugarura, Joseph
dc.contributor.authorKagabo, Daniel M.
dc.contributor.authorBangirana, Paul
dc.contributor.authorJansen, Stefan
dc.contributor.authorVentevogel, Peter
dc.contributor.authorRobinson, Jude
dc.contributor.authorWhite, Ross G.
dc.date.accessioned2022-02-10T19:22:30Z
dc.date.available2022-02-10T19:22:30Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractRefugees fleeing conflict often experience poor mental health due to experiences in their country of origin, during displacement, and in new host environments. Conditions in refugee camps and settlements, and the wider socio-political and economic context of refugees’ lives, create structural conditions that compound the effects of previous adversity. Mental health and psychosocial support services must address the daily stressors and adversities refugees face by being grounded in the lived reality of refugee’s lives and addressing issues relevant to them.We undertook a rapid qualitative study between March and May 2019 to understand the local prioritisation of problems facing Congolese refugees living in two refugee settings in Uganda and Rwanda. Thirty free list interviews were conducted in each setting, followed by 11 key informant interviews in Uganda and 12 in Rwanda.Results from all interviews were thematically analysed following a deductive process by the in-country research teams. Free list interview findings highlight priority problems of basic needs such as food, shelter, and healthcare access; alongside contextual social problems including discrimination/inequity and a lack of gender equality. Priority problems relating to mental and psychosocial health explored in key informant interviews include discrimination and inequity; alcohol and substance abuse; and violence and gender-based violence.Our findings strongly resonate with models of mental health and psychosocial wellbeing that emphasise their socially determined and contextually embedded nature. Specifically, findings foreground the structural conditions of refugees’ lives such as the physical organisation of camp spaces or refugee policies that are stigmatising through restricting the right to work or pursue education. This structural environment can lead to disruptions in social relationships at the familial and community levels, giving rise to discrimination/inequity and gender-based violence. Therefore, our findings foreground that one consequence of living in situations of pervasive adversity caused by experiences of discrimination, inequity, and violence is poor mental health and psychosocial wellbeing. This understanding reinforces the relevance of feasible and acceptable intervention approaches that aim to strengthening familial and community-level social relationships, building upon existing community resources to promote positive mental health and psychosocial wellbeing among Congolese refugees in these settings.en_US
dc.identifier.citationChiumento, A., Rutayisire, T., Sarabwe, E., Hasan, M. T., Kasujja, R., Nabirinde, R., ... & White, R. G. (2020). Exploring the mental health and psychosocial problems of Congolese refugees living in refugee settings in Rwanda and Uganda: a rapid qualitative study. Conflict and Health, 14(1), 1-21.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00323-8en_US
dc.identifier.issn1752-1505
dc.identifier.urihttps://nru.uncst.go.ug/xmlui/handle/123456789/2041
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherConflict and Healthen_US
dc.subjectMental health and psychosocial support, Qualitative, Refugees, Community-based support, Humanitarian settings, Post-conflict, DIMEen_US
dc.titleExploring The Mental Health And Psychosocial Problems Of Congolese Refugees Living In Refugee Settings In Rwanda And Uganda: A Rapid Qualitative Studyen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US
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