Levels of Depressive Disorder among Displaced Citizens in Displacement Camps in Baghdad City
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37506/ijone.v12i3.9730Keywords:
Prevalence, levels, depression, displaced, citizens, Baghdad, camps.Abstract
Introduction: Internally displaced people are those who are compelled to escape but they either cannot
or do not desire to cross an international border. In addition, internal displacement can affect persons in
particular or an entire groups(1). The most common psychological reactions found in internally displaced
people in addition to PTSD are depression, somatization, and existential problems(2). It was found that the
prevalence of depression symptoms range among displaced individuals was 38%-41%(3).
Objective: The study aims to find out levels of depressive symptoms among displaced citizen in Baghdad
city and to find out whether there is any relationship between those levels and some socio-demographic
characteristics of displaced citizens.
Methodology: A descriptive analytic design study was conducted from November 10th, 2017 to the April
10th, 2018 with the purpose of assessing the levels of depressive disorder among displaced citizens who
temporarily live in displaced camps in Baghdad city. A non-probability (purposive) sample of 110 of those
displaced citizens was recruited to join in present study. To meet the goals of the study a questionnaire was
made. The questionnaire has two functions: primarily, four socio-demographic characteristics of displaced
people: gender, age, level of education, and marital status; and furthermore, fifteen items represent Geriatric
Depression Scale (GDS-15) for Almeida (1999)(4)which expected to determine the levels of depressive
disorder among the displaced people. Collected data were examined by means of: a descriptive statistical
analysis: frequencies and percentages and tables of distribution; and inferential analysis which was Chi2.
Results: The results indicate that about three quarters of the participants are male; half of them are of
twenties decade of age; about half of those displaced are unmarried; and three quarters of them have primary
and secondary levels of education. And the results reveals too that more than half of displaced citizens have
moderate level (64.5%); and only 11.8% are within normal level of depressive disorder; and nearly quarter
of them have severe level (23.6%).
Recommendations: The study recommends for the necessity to provide mental health services for displaced
citizens in displacement camps. And an escalation in the extent of mental health and psychosocial support
services for those displaced citizens. The necessity is needed to sufficiently support and offer broad healthcare
for them.