Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Multicenter Study
. 2008 May 19:8:38.
doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-8-38.

Factors associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression amongst internally displaced persons in northern Uganda

Bayard Roberts  1 , Kaducu Felix Ocaka, John Browne, Thomas Oyok, Egbert Sondorp
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Factors associated with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression amongst internally displaced persons in northern Uganda

Bayard Roberts et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: The 20 year war in northern Uganda between the Lord's Resistance Army and the Ugandan government has resulted in the displacement of up to 2 million people within Uganda. The purpose of the study was to measure rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression amongst these internally displaced persons (IDPs), and investigate associated demographic and trauma exposure risk factors.

Methods: A cross-sectional multi-staged, random cluster survey with 1210 adult IDPs was conducted in November 2006 in Gulu and Amuru districts of northern Uganda. Levels of exposure to traumatic events and PTSD were measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (original version), and levels of depression were measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25. Multivariate logistic regression was used to analyse the association of demographic and trauma exposure variables on the outcomes of PTSD and depression.

Results: Over half (54%) of the respondents met symptom criteria for PTSD, and over two thirds (67%) of respondents met symptom criteria for depression. Over half (58%) of respondents had experienced 8 or more of the 16 trauma events covered in the questionnaire. Factors strongly linked with PTSD and depression included gender, marital status, distance of displacement, experiencing ill health without medical care, experiencing rape or sexual abuse, experiencing lack of food or water, and experiencing higher rates of trauma exposure.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence of exposure to traumatic events and deprivation of essential goods and services suffered by IDPs, and the resultant effect this has upon their mental health. Protection and social and psychological assistance are urgently required to help IDPs in northern Uganda re-build their lives.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Distribution of trauma exposure (N = 1210).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Distribution of PTSD scores (N = 1210).
Figure 3
Figure 3
Distribution of depression scores (N = 1210).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. International Crisis Group . Northern Uganda: Seizing the Opportunity for Peace. Kampala/Nairobi/Brussels; 2007.
    1. UNOCHA Consolidated Appeal for Uganda 2006 (Revision): UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Kampala. 2006.
    1. Boas MHA. Northern Uganda IDP Profiling. UNDP/GoU/FAFO: Kampala; 2005.
    1. MoH/WHO/UNICEF/IRC Health and mortality survey among internally displaced persons in Gulu, Kitgum and Pader districts, Northern Uganda. 2005. http://www.who.int/hac/crises/uga/sitreps/Ugandamortsurvey.pdf Last access 6 May 2008.
    1. MSF-Holland Internally Displaced Camps in Lira and Pader, Northern Uganda A Baseline Health Survey Preliminary Report. 2004. http://www.msf.or.jp/news/baseline/Baseline.pdf Last access 6 May 2008.

Publication types