Effect of social perspectives in the relationship between suicidal ideation and depression among young women in slums of Kampala, Uganda.

Background: Multivariate analysis in suicidality research is of interest not only to identify the pathology of suicidality but also to understand the mechanisms of its treatment and to ascertain more efficient intervention strategies. The current study aimed to assess the roles of neighborhood factors, coping, and resilience in the association between depression and suicidal ideation in the understudied population of young women in the Kampala slum areas of Uganda.

Methods: Data from the baseline assessment of "The Onward Project On Wellbeing and Adversity" (TOPOWA) research study were utilized during analysis. TOPOWA is a multi-component, prospective cohort study examining the mechanistic pathways of mental illness in the context of social determinants of mental health and lived experience among young women aged 18 to 24 years living in the urban slums of Kampala. The cohort comprises 300 women recruited in 2023 from 3 study sites (i.e., Banda, Bwaise, and Makindye). A path analysis hypothesizing the roles of neighborhood characteristics, coping, and resilience in the association between depression and suicidal ideation was modeled. Neighborhood characteristics in this study were typically neighborhood cohesion and neighborhood satisfaction.

Results: The study findings demonstrated a significant role of resilience in the relationship between the neighborhood characteristics, depression, and suicidal ideation in a population where the prevalence of suicidal ideation (46.0%) and depression (57.8%) is substantial. Resilience was linked to reduced suicidal ideation (β = -0.02, p < 0.05) and depression (β = -0.14, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: Intervention programs geared towards building resilience among young women in Uganda may reduce suicidal ideation directly or indirectly by decreasing depression, especially in urban slum settings.