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. 2025 Jun 2;25(1):568.
doi: 10.1186/s12888-025-06930-0.

Effect of social perspectives in the relationship between suicidal ideation and depression among young women in slums of Kampala, Uganda

Charles Natuhamya  1 , Enid Nabukalu  1 , Matthew Lyons  2 , Kevin B Gittner  3 , Jane Palmier  4 , Rachel Culbreth  5 , Monica H Swahn  6
Affiliations

Effect of social perspectives in the relationship between suicidal ideation and depression among young women in slums of Kampala, Uganda

Charles Natuhamya et al. BMC Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Background: Multivariate analysis in suicidality research is of interest not only to identify the pathology of suicidality but also to understand the mechanisms of its treatment and to ascertain more efficient intervention strategies. The current study aimed to assess the roles of neighborhood factors, coping, and resilience in the association between depression and suicidal ideation in the understudied population of young women in the Kampala slum areas of Uganda.

Methods: Data from the baseline assessment of "The Onward Project On Wellbeing and Adversity" (TOPOWA) research study were utilized during analysis. TOPOWA is a multi-component, prospective cohort study examining the mechanistic pathways of mental illness in the context of social determinants of mental health and lived experience among young women aged 18 to 24 years living in the urban slums of Kampala. The cohort comprises 300 women recruited in 2023 from 3 study sites (i.e., Banda, Bwaise, and Makindye). A path analysis hypothesizing the roles of neighborhood characteristics, coping, and resilience in the association between depression and suicidal ideation was modeled. Neighborhood characteristics in this study were typically neighborhood cohesion and neighborhood satisfaction.

Results: The study findings demonstrated a significant role of resilience in the relationship between the neighborhood characteristics, depression, and suicidal ideation in a population where the prevalence of suicidal ideation (46.0%) and depression (57.8%) is substantial. Resilience was linked to reduced suicidal ideation (β = -0.02, p < 0.05) and depression (β = -0.14, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Intervention programs geared towards building resilience among young women in Uganda may reduce suicidal ideation directly or indirectly by decreasing depression, especially in urban slum settings.

Keywords: Coping; Depression; Mental health; Neighborhood; Resilience; Suicidal ideation; Uganda; Women.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approvals were obtained from Kennesaw State University, the Makerere University School of Health Sciences Research Ethics Committee (MAKSHSREC-2023-532, dated 02 June 2023) and the Uganda National Council of Science and Technology (registration numberHS2959ES). All participants provided written informed consent before taking part in the study. Consent for publication: Consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Original hypothesized path model for suicide-associated factors during the Baseline Assessment of the TOPOWA Cohort Study (N = 300)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Modified path model for suicide-associated factors during the Baseline Assessment of the TOPOWA Cohort Study (N = 300)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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