Psycho-social support in Nakivale settlement faces challenges

Isingiro, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT |  Mental health experts in Nakivale refugee settlement in Isingiro district have raised concerns about the limitations they face in providing psychosocial support to both refugees and the host communities. The shortage of space and personnel has hindered their ability to offer private counseling and mental health services to those in need.

Elias Manirakiza, the Regional Coordinator of the Transcultural Psychosocial Organisation, has highlighted the challenges in delivering psychosocial support within the camp. He points out the shortage of personnel, as the organization currently has only ten staff members, including seven social workers, two clinical psychologists, and one psychiatrist, who are responsible for assisting over 140,000 individuals.

Cecilia Kambabazi, the Assistant Community Services Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister, also recognizes the lack of safe spaces for mental health treatment and counseling sessions. Currently, they are forced to use health centers and people’s homes for these services. She adds that there is a general lack of awareness about the seriousness of mental health issues, which is a challenge for both health experts and social workers.

However, despite the numerous challenges, there have been some successes in the last two years. The number of suicide cases in the region has decreased from over 30 to 14 individuals by the end of August this year.

Manirakiza notes that the majority of the suicide cases were men, with 93% of the cases attributed to males. He emphasizes that many men choose to remain silent about their mental health issues. Daniel Wabigya, a psychiatric clinical officer from TPO Uganda, emphasizes the lack of awareness about mental health in the region.

He notes that many cases were previously misattributed to witchcraft due to the lack of knowledge about the treatability and manageability of mental health conditions. Wabigya further highlights that children between the ages of 3 to 15 years often suffer from untreated mental health issues, a result of the trauma experienced during wars and domestic violence in their home countries.

Nakivale refugee settlement, home to 180,000 individuals from 11 nationalities, faces significant challenges in addressing the mental health needs of its diverse population.

****

URN