Introduction: Refugees
in urban areas often face acculturation challenges, stigma, and stereotypes that impact their mental well-being. The
aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of stigma and its
association with depressive symptoms among urban refugees living in Mbarara
city, southwestern Uganda. Methods: This cross-sectional study used snowball
sampling and interviewed 343 refugees residing in Mbarara city, southwestern
Uganda. The Discrimination and Stigma Scale was used to assess stigma,whereas the
Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) was used to screen for depression symptoms
severity. Linear regression models determined the associations between
stigma and depression symptoms severity. Data were collected between June 2019
and March 2020. Findings: Of the 343 participants, 198 were males and 145 were females; their mean age was 28.8 years (SD = 11.0). Most of the participants (95.3%) had attained formal education. Our
findings show that 84% (n=288) of the participants had symptoms of stigma. Stigma had a
statistically significant positive association with depressive symptoms
severity (b = 0.11; 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.15). Age had statistically significant
positive association with depression symptoms severity (b = 0.08; 95% CI, 0.02 to 0.14). Education level
had a statistically significant negative association with depressive symptoms
severity (b = -0.53; 95% CI, -0.97 to -0.09).
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