Chronicity of self-harming behaviors among adolescent teenage girls living in refugee settlements in Northern Uganda

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorKaggwa Mark Mohan
dc.contributor.authorAbaatyo Joan
dc.contributor.authorOtika Donald
dc.contributor.authorPebalo Francis Pebolo
dc.contributor.authorBongomin Felix Bongomin
dc.date.accessioned2025-09-02T13:41:13Z
dc.date.available2025-09-02T13:41:13Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.descriptionThe authors acknowledge the support of Centre for International Reproductive Health Training at the University of Michigan, United States of America, the participants and the dedicated research assistants. Author contributions All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed by D.O., and P.F.P., while data analysis was performed by J. A. The first draft of the manuscript was written by M.M.K and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript
dc.description.abstractBackground: Self-harming ideations demand targeted research due to their persistent nature, especially among female adolescents within refugee populations who face unique challenges that can exacerbate self-harming tendencies. This study aimed to assess the factors associated with self-harming ideations chronicity among female teenagers living in refugee settlement in Northern Uganda. Method This cross-sectional study used a pretested questionnaire to assess self-harming ideations and other demographic characteristics. Ordinal logistic regression was used to determine factors associated with chronicity of self-harm ideations. Results: Of 385 participants, the prevalence of self-harming ideations was 4.2% (n = 16) for acute, 8% (n = 31) for subacute, and 3.1% (n = 12) for chronic. The likelihood of having more chronic self-harming ideations increased with having ever been pregnant (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 3.78, 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.57–9.08). However, having a spouse as the family head reduced the likelihood of having more chronic self-harming ideations (aOR = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.04–0.95). Conclusions: The persistence of self-harming thoughts among female teenagers in Northern Ugandan refugee settlements varies. Pregnancy history is associated with a higher chance of prolonged self-harming thoughts while having a spouse as the family’s head is linked with a lower likelihood. Examining different demographic and familial elements when addressing the mental well-being of female teenage refugees is vital. It stresses the necessity for customized interventions and support networks targeting the reduction of self-harm behaviors among this vulnerable group.
dc.description.sponsorshipThis study was supported through a seed grant from the Centre for International Reproductive Health Training at the University of Michigan, United States of America.
dc.identifier.otherhttps://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-024-01897-1
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14270/632
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherBMC Psychology
dc.subjectSelf-harm ideations
dc.subjectChronicity of self-harming behaviors
dc.subjectsuicidal behaviors
dc.subjectteenagers
dc.subjectFemales
dc.subjectRefugees
dc.subjectand Uganda
dc.titleChronicity of self-harming behaviors among adolescent teenage girls living in refugee settlements in Northern Uganda
dc.typeArticle

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Bongomin_Chronicity of self-harming behaviors among adolescent teenage girls living in refugee settlements in Northern Uganda_2024.pdf
Size:
898.41 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download

Collections

Research Articles