Determinants of Help-Seeking Behaviours among Persons with Depression in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement Camp, Kyegegwa District, Uganda

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Date

2022-01-24

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iMedPub Journals

Abstract

Depression is one of the leading contributors of the burden of disease globally and in low- and middle-income countries, and refugees are at increased risk for mental health problems due to forced migration from their home countries and other traumatic experiences. Objectives: To explore the determinants of help-seeking behaviours among persons with depression in Kyaka II Refugee Settlement Camp in Kyegegwa District. Specifically, the study examined the personal and health system factors that influence the help-seeking behaviours among refugees suffering from depression. Methods: The study was cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical, both qualitative and quantitative in approach. A sample of 237 refugees newly diagnosed with depression in Kyaka II Refuge Settlement Camp in Kyegegwa District was studied. Data from primary respondents was collected by survey method using researcher- administered questionnaire and analysis was done. Results: The demographic factors that were found to have an influence on help- seeking behaviour were gender (p=0.028), marital status (p=0.001) and religion (p=0.002). Indeed, religion significantly influenced the help-seeking behaviors of persons with depression (COR=2.381, 95% CI=1.359-4.172, p=0.002), implying that those who were protestants were at least two times more likely to seek help for depression from a health facility than those who belonged to other religions. There is no significant between most health system factors and help seeking behaviours, except receiving services when needed (p=0.000) and experience at healthcare facility (p=0.000). Conclusion: At Kyaka II Refuge Settlement Camp in Kyegegwa, refugees and asylum seekers suffering from depression try out several measures in seeking help for their depression predicament. However, only a sizeable proportion of them seek professional care on realizing that they are suffering from depression. Many of them seek relief from spiritualists/religious leaders and traditional healers.

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Keywords

Help-seeking behaviours, Depression, Refugee, Asylum seekers

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