Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - October 20, 2003
Bamuturaki Musinguzi
"Depression among the communities that we studied, appeared to be triggered by grief, dispute or life change," said Lincoln Ndogoni, a psychosocial advisor for World Vision Africa based in Kenya.
The research carried out between 2002 and early this year, indicated that the level of depression in both sexes was about the same yet scientifically, women have higher levels of depression than men.
World Vision and consultants from John Hopkins University conducted the clinical trial among the communities severely affected by the HIV epidemic in Kyannamukaaka in Masaka district and Kyotera in Rakai district from 2002 - 2003. These are the districts most affected by HIV/AIDS.
Lincoln Ndogoni, one of the researchers, said as a result of depression, some parents even neglected their children to an extent of stopping them from attending schools. "They saw no value in education and took it as a waste of time," he said.
However, the situation changed the moment they got counsellors. "Adults who had contemplated suicide gave up," Ndogoni said. The researchers recommended that intervention need to be provided to help communities deal with AIDS-related depression.
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