Displaced Population Groups' Access to Mental Health Services in Bangladesh and Uganda

The psychosocial vulnerabilities of refugees and significant need for mental health services in
humanitarian settings have received increased attention in recent years. Based on qualitative
research with Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh and South Sudanese refugees in Uganda,
and service providers in each context, this paper identifies hitherto underexplored factors that
shape access to mental healthcare, as well as barriers and opportunities for improving mental
health support. The paper finds multiple barriers that limit access to formal care, including
distance, cost, lack of family support, poor health, communication challenges, perception of
service propriety, and poor quality of services. Tensions between cultural understandings of
mental health and shifting gender norms and roles in displacement also shape mental health
vulnerability and service access in each setting. Gaps in existing services are identified, as
are recommendations as to how community expertise and knowledge might be integrated
within formal psychosocial support services for refugees