Table 1.
Summary of the studies reviewed
| Author/year | Setting | Population type | Sampling | Sample size | Age category | Instruments | Findings | Conclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| ||||||||
| Ayazi et al. (2012) * | Bahr-el-Ghazal, South Sudan | Community | Multistage random cluster | 1200 | Adults | GHQ-28, HTQ, MINI | PTSD = 37.6%; depression = 15.9%; PTSD-depression = 9.5% | Risk factors for PTSD-depression similar to PTSD only but different from depression only |
| Ayazi et al. (2014) * | Bahr-el-Ghazal, South Sudan | Community | Multistage random cluster | 1200 | Adults | GHQ-28, HTQ, MINI | GAD-only = 7.1%; PD-only = 4.6%; PTSD-only = 25.5%; any anxiety disorder = 26% | Exposure to traumatic events and socioeconomic disadvantage associated with having one or more anxiety diagnosis |
| Fox and Willis (2009) | Nebraska, USA | South Sudanese refugees | Convenience sample | 31 | Adults | HSCL-25, HTQ | Traumatic events = 8.6; PTSD = 3%; Anxiety = 9%; Depression = 12% | Although the Sudanese suffered trauma resulting from their refugee experience, the prevalence rate for PTSD was lower than expected |
| Karunakara et al. (2004) | South Sudan and Uganda (West Nile Region) | Ugandan and Sudanese nationals; Sudanese refugees in Uganda | Multistage sampling | 3323 | Adults | PDS | PTSD in: Sudanese nationals = 48%; Sudanese refugees = 46%; Ugandan nationals = 18% | The symptoms of PTSD in war-affected Sudanese populations can be partly explained by traumatic events exposure |
| Ng et al. (2017) | South Sudan after the 2013 conflict | Community sample | Non-random sample | 1525 | Adults | HTQ-R | PTSD = 40.7; average number of traumatic events =7.6 | People with PTSD may prioritize ending violence through reconciliation; people exposed to more trauma want to see punitive measures. Study showed trauma-associated disorders still high after independence, perhaps as a result of retraumatization from the latest round of conflict |
| Peltzer (1999) | Refugee camp in Uganda | South Sudanese refugees, ex-soldiers | Convenience sample | 323 | Adults (n = 267), children (n = 56) | HTQ, HSCL-25, PTSD Questionnaire for Children | Depressive scale median score = 74.6 in ex-soldiers; 20% PTSD in children; 32% PTSD in adults | High rates of trauma and psychosocial problems were found among Sudanese refugees in Uganda |
| Roberts et al. (2009) | Juba, South Sudan | Community | Multistage random cluster | 1242 | Adults | HTQ, HSCL-25 | Depression = 50%; PTSD = 36%; trauma = 22% experienced ≥ 8 events | There is high prevalence of mental distress in the population in Juba town |
| Tutlam et al. (2020) | Nebraska and Tennessee, USA | Community | Convenience sample | 76 | Adult women | HTQ, HSCH-25 | Current anxiety = 39.5% Current depression = 28.9% Current PTSD = 26.3% Past anxiety = 26.3% Past depression = 21.1% Past PTSD = 15.8% Lifetime anxiety = 40.8% Lifetime depression = 31.6% Lifetime PTSD = 28.9% |
The study identified high level of war trauma among South Sudanese Dinka and Nuer women during the long civil war in South Sudan. As a result, the rates of trauma-associated disorders in the study sample were high |
| Schweitzer et al. (2006) | Southeast Queensland, Australia | Sudanese refugees | Snowball sampling | 63 | Adults | HTQ, HSCL-37, PMLD | Mean traumatic events = 5.6; MDD = 16%; PTSD = 13% | Refugees in Australia may constitute a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health outcomes. Culturally specific sequelae in terms of social isolation and acculturation may be particularly problematic for these migrants |
CHQ Child Health Questionnaire, DSI Daily Stress Inventory, GHQ-28 General Health Questionnaire, HTQ Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, HSCL-25 Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-25, HSCL-37 Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-37, IS Interview schedule for functional factors of social support, LCIACDS Levonn Cartoon-based Interview for Assessing Children’s Daily Distress Symptoms, MDD Major Depressive Disorder, MINI MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview, PDS Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale, PTSD Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, RCQ WHO Reporting Questionnaire for Children, WC Ways of Coping Instrument, WGSSD Washington Group Short Measurement Set on Disability, YSR Youth Self Report
Articles from the same study but providing different outcomes of interest
Same population as study by Karunakara but included because this had additional data on risk factors