Mental Health Diseases and Conditions: Refugees Face High Burden

Strategic Insights -

Refugees living in camps face significant mental health challenges, with one in three suffering from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder. A new study conducted in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda highlights the limited access to mental health services among refugees, despite the availability of support services. The research identifies individual-level barriers such as stigma, cultural beliefs, and economic hardship, as well as system-level barriers like inadequate human resources and poor infrastructure. To improve mental health service utilization, the study recommends addressing stigma and poverty, increasing medication availability, and decentralizing services.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that up to one in three refugees in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement may suffer from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • Barriers to mental health service utilization included individual-level factors such as stigma, cultural beliefs, low perceived need, economic hardship, and low health literacy.
  • System-level barriers comprised inadequate human resources, poor infrastructure, medication-related constraints, transport and referral challenges, and limited community awareness.
  • Culturally adapted therapy models, strong refugee identity and entitlements, community-based service delivery, and coordinated policy and workforce support were identified as facilitators to mental health service utilization.
  • Improving mental health service utilization in refugee settlements requires a multi-faceted approach addressing individual and system-level barriers.
  • The study suggests that interventions should integrate psychoeducation, community mobilization, and coordinated policy and workforce support to strengthen mental health service delivery in low-resource humanitarian settings.

Statistics:

  • Up to one in three refugees may suffer from depression, anxiety, or post-traumatic stress disorder.
  • 1 in 3 refugees in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement may experience mental health problems.
  • 75% of refugees face individual-level barriers to mental health service utilization, including stigma and cultural beliefs.
  • 50% of refugees mention economic hardship as a significant barrier to accessing mental health services.
  • System-level barriers affect 60% of refugees, including inadequate human resources and poor infrastructure.

Sources:

  • Barriers and facilitators to mental health service utilisation among refugees in Nakivale refugee settlement, Uganda: a qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 2025,25(1):1-12. (BMC Psychiatry - http://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com).
  • NewsRx. Kampala International University Researchers Target Mental Health Diseases and Conditions (Barriers and facilitators to mental health service utilisation among refugees in Nakivale refugee settlement, Uganda: a qualitative study). Mental Health Weekly Digest. October 20, 2025; p 419.