Prevalence of Depressive Disorders and Associated Demographic Factors Among Refugees Amidst COVID-19 in Nakivale Refugee Camp in Southwestern Uganda

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic and health measures to prevent it have unprecedented effects on the mental health of the refugees. However, the situation of refugees in developing countries is unclear. Thus, this study estimated the prevalence of and associated demographic factors during COVID-19 pandemic. The methodology employed a cross-sectional survey carried out in June 2020 in which 146 adult refugees from Nakivale settlement camp were randomly selected to fill out a questionnaires-demographics and PHQ9. Results revealed that the majority of respondents were female (53%) and 47% had a depressive disorder. There was no statistical relationship between demographics (gender, age and marital status) and depressive disorders. In Conclusion findings indicate that depressive disorders are prevalent among refugees in Nakivale settlement and it is important to identify refugees affected mentally and given proper treatment.