Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting
Abstract Background There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2020-01-01
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| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425120000230/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1811156090248757248 |
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| author | Mazeda Hossain Rachel Pearson Alys McAlpine Loraine Bacchus Sheru W. Muuo Stella K Muthuri Jo Spangaro Hannah Kuper Giorgia Franchi Ricardo Pla Cordero Sarah Cornish-Spencer Tim Hess Martin Bangha Chimaraoke Izugbara |
| author_facet | Mazeda Hossain Rachel Pearson Alys McAlpine Loraine Bacchus Sheru W. Muuo Stella K Muthuri Jo Spangaro Hannah Kuper Giorgia Franchi Ricardo Pla Cordero Sarah Cornish-Spencer Tim Hess Martin Bangha Chimaraoke Izugbara |
| author_sort | Mazeda Hossain |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract
Background
There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts.
Methods
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled in a cohort study of refugee women accessing GBV response services in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. Women were surveyed about GBV experiences (past 12 months, before the last 12 months, before arriving in the refugee camps), functional disability status, and mental health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress), and we explored the inter-relationship of these factors.
Results
Among women accessing GBV response services, 44% reported a disability. A higher proportion of women with a disability (69%) reported a past-year experience of physical intimate partner violence and/or physical or sexual non-partner violence, compared to women without a disability (54%). A higher proportion of women with a disability (32%) experienced non-partner physical or sexual violence before arriving in the camp compared to women without a disability (16%). Disability was associated with higher scores for depression (1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–3.33), PTSD (2.26, 95% CI 0.03–4.49), and anxiety (1.54, 95% CI 0.13–2.95) after adjusting for age, length of encampment, partner status, number of children, and GBV indicators.
Conclusions
A large proportion of refugee women seeking GBV response services have disabilities, and refugee women with a disability are at high risk of poor mental health. This research highlights the need for mental health and disability screening within GBV response programming.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:45:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0fbc8ed2739c4c05a2b81dd6363ecea9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-4251 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T04:45:44Z |
| publishDate | 2020-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-0fbc8ed2739c4c05a2b81dd6363ecea92023-03-09T12:35:39ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health2054-42512020-01-01710.1017/gmh.2020.23Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian settingMazeda Hossain0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1878-8145Rachel Pearson1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3644-2885Alys McAlpine2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9880-6154Loraine Bacchus3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9966-8208Sheru W. Muuo4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0246-6600Stella K Muthuri5https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5834-2247Jo Spangaro6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7806-7956Hannah Kuper7https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8952-0023Giorgia Franchi8Ricardo Pla Cordero9Sarah Cornish-Spencer10Tim Hess11Martin Bangha12Chimaraoke Izugbara13Department of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UK Centre for Women, Peace & Security, London School of Economics and Political Science, UKPopulation, Policy and Practice Research and Teaching Department, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, UKDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UKDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UKAfrican Population and Health Research Center, KenyaAfrican Population and Health Research Center, KenyaSchool of Health and Society, University of Wollongong, AustraliaDepartment of Global Health and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, UKInternational Rescue Committee, UKInternational Rescue Committee, UKInternational Rescue Committee, UKInternational Rescue Committee, UKAfrican Population and Health Research Center, KenyaAfrican Population and Health Research Center, KenyaAbstract Background There is limited evidence on the relationship between disability, experiences of gender-based violence (GBV), and mental health among refugee women in humanitarian contexts. Methods A cross-sectional analysis was conducted of baseline data (n = 209) collected from women enrolled in a cohort study of refugee women accessing GBV response services in the Dadaab refugee camps in Kenya. Women were surveyed about GBV experiences (past 12 months, before the last 12 months, before arriving in the refugee camps), functional disability status, and mental health (anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress), and we explored the inter-relationship of these factors. Results Among women accessing GBV response services, 44% reported a disability. A higher proportion of women with a disability (69%) reported a past-year experience of physical intimate partner violence and/or physical or sexual non-partner violence, compared to women without a disability (54%). A higher proportion of women with a disability (32%) experienced non-partner physical or sexual violence before arriving in the camp compared to women without a disability (16%). Disability was associated with higher scores for depression (1.93, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54–3.33), PTSD (2.26, 95% CI 0.03–4.49), and anxiety (1.54, 95% CI 0.13–2.95) after adjusting for age, length of encampment, partner status, number of children, and GBV indicators. Conclusions A large proportion of refugee women seeking GBV response services have disabilities, and refugee women with a disability are at high risk of poor mental health. This research highlights the need for mental health and disability screening within GBV response programming. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425120000230/type/journal_articleDisabilityhumanitarian crisismental healthrefugeesviolence |
| spellingShingle | Mazeda Hossain Rachel Pearson Alys McAlpine Loraine Bacchus Sheru W. Muuo Stella K Muthuri Jo Spangaro Hannah Kuper Giorgia Franchi Ricardo Pla Cordero Sarah Cornish-Spencer Tim Hess Martin Bangha Chimaraoke Izugbara Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health Disability humanitarian crisis mental health refugees violence |
| title | Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| title_full | Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| title_fullStr | Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| title_full_unstemmed | Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| title_short | Disability, violence, and mental health among Somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| title_sort | disability violence and mental health among somali refugee women in a humanitarian setting |
| topic | Disability humanitarian crisis mental health refugees violence |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425120000230/type/journal_article |
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