Faculty of Medicine, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
PLoS One. 2024 Jul 25;19(7):e0307648. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307648. eCollection 2024.
Mental health during armed conflicts is of paramount importance, as such situations often lead to increased risks of anxiety and depression symptoms among civilians. The military conflict between the Sudanese army and Rapid Support Forces, which began on April 15, 2023, is currently ongoing mainly in Khartoum State. Despite the significant impact of the conflict on the region, there is a lack of data regarding the mental health status of the residents. The aim of this study is to assess anxiety and depression symptoms among residents of Khartoum State during the first months of the 2023 military conflict.
We conducted a cross-sectional study among residents of Khartoum State between May 27 and June 19 using an online questionnaire. We used standardized screening questionnaires, namely the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) for anxiety and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) for depression. Multiple logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic factors that are associated with anxiety and depression symptoms.
Out of the 393 participants in the study, 70% had symptoms suggestive of depression and 57.3% suffered from anxiety symptoms. Both anxiety and depression were associated with being female (p < 0.001). Being married was a predictor of anxiety (p = 0.028) but not depression (p = 0.3). Other predictors were not significant (p > 0.05).
High levels of anxiety and depression symptoms were prevalent among Khartoum residents during the conflict, with females and married individuals at higher risk. Immediate medical assessment is essential for identifying cases and providing support. Mental health services should be integrated into emergency response efforts, particularly focusing on vulnerable groups. Future research should address study limitations and explore coping strategies for anxiety and depression in Sudanese adults.
武装冲突期间的心理健康至关重要，因为这种情况往往会导致平民焦虑和抑郁症状的风险增加。2023 年 4 月 15 日开始的苏丹军队与快速支援部队之间的军事冲突目前主要在喀土穆州进行。尽管冲突对该地区有重大影响，但关于居民心理健康状况的数据却很少。本研究旨在评估 2023 年军事冲突的头几个月喀土穆州居民的焦虑和抑郁症状。
我们在 5 月 27 日至 6 月 19 日期间在喀土穆州居民中进行了一项横断面研究，使用在线问卷。我们使用了标准化的筛查问卷，即广泛性焦虑障碍（GAD-7）评估焦虑症，患者健康问卷（PHQ-9）评估抑郁症。多因素逻辑回归用于确定与焦虑和抑郁症状相关的社会人口学因素。
在 393 名研究参与者中，70%有抑郁症状，57.3%有焦虑症状。焦虑和抑郁均与女性有关（p < 0.001）。已婚是焦虑的预测因素（p = 0.028），但不是抑郁的预测因素（p = 0.3）。其他预测因素不显著（p > 0.05）。
在冲突期间，喀土穆居民中普遍存在较高水平的焦虑和抑郁症状，女性和已婚者风险更高。应立即进行医疗评估以识别病例并提供支持。应将心理健康服务纳入应急响应工作中，特别是针对弱势群体。未来的研究应解决研究局限性，并探索苏丹成年人应对焦虑和抑郁的策略。
