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Article History

Received: 31 December 2024

Accepted: 12 November 2025

First Online: 19 November 2025

Declarations

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: In accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, the study received ethical approval from the Kenyatta National Hospital–University of Nairobi Research and Ethics Committee (KNH-UON-P879/12/2023) and the Mbarara University of Science and Technology Research Ethics Committee (MUST-REC-MUST-2023-739) and was registered with the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNCST). Administrative clearance was additionally obtained from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), the government agency responsible for refugee affairs in Uganda. All research instruments were translated into Kinyabwisha and Kiswahili; the primary languages spoken by participants, to ensure inclusivity and understanding. Informed assent was obtained from all minor participants, and informed consent was obtained from their caregivers. The consent and assent forms detailed the study’s purpose and emphasized the voluntary nature of participation. Participants were assured of the confidentiality of their responses and their right to withdraw at any time without consequences. To address potential psychological distress, participants identified by the research team as severely affected using the Suicidality Scale of the MINI-KID were provided immediate psychological support and were referred to local health centers for specialized care. Severe cases were referred to ALIGHT (an organization that provides psycho-social factors in the refugee settlement) and Medical Teams International (MTI). Children or caregivers with severe cognitive impairments were excluded from the study.

: The authors declare no competing interests.