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Depression is one of the most studied mental health disorders, with varying prevalence rates reported across study populations in Uganda. A systematic review and meta-analysis was carried out to determine the pooled prevalence of depression and the prevalence of depression across different study populations in the country.
All included papers were observational studies regarding depression prevalence in Uganda, published before September The Joanna Briggs Institute Checklist for Prevalence Studies was used to evaluate the risk of bias and quality of the included papers, and depression pooled prevalence was determined using a random-effects meta-analysis. A total of studies comprising , individuals were identified. The pooled prevalence of depression was The prevalence of depression was higher during the COVID pandemic than during the pre-pandemic period Refugees had the highest prevalence of depression Almost one in three individuals in Uganda has depression, with the refugee population being disproportionately affected.
Targeted models for depression screening and management across various populations across the country are recommended. The global prevalence rates of depression and other mental disorders have been increasing since [ 1 ], and approximately 3. The prevalence of depression increased by an additional Despite the lower increase in the burden of depression in sub-Saharan Africa, most individuals with depression go undiagnosed and untreated in the region [ 4 ].
This has led to some individuals having extreme complications of depression, such as suicide [ 5 β 11 ]. The effect is even worse in low-income countries such as Uganda, with a high prevalence of depression i. In Uganda, due to the high burden of depression, various studies have been conducted among different populations e. Uganda is a landlocked low-income country that has been affected by multiple adverse events, including civil wars, extreme poverty, high rates of HIV, various epidemics e.
