Browsing by Author "Ainamani, Herbert"

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    The Cycle of Violence: Associations Between Exposure to Violence, Trauma-Related Symptoms and Aggression—Findings from Congolese Refugees in Uganda
    (University of Zurich, 2015) Hecker, Tobias; Fetz, Simon; Ainamani, Herbert; Elbert, Thomas
    War-related trauma exposure has been linked to aggression and enhanced levels of community and family violence, suggesting a cycle of violence. Reactive aggression—an aggressive reaction to a perceived threat—has been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In contrast, appetitive aggression—a hedonic, intrinsically motivated form of aggression—seems to be negatively related to PTSD in offender and military populations. This study examined the associations between exposure to violence, trauma-related symptoms and aggression in a civilian population. In semistructured interviews, 290 Congolese refugees were questioned about trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, and aggression. War-related trauma exposure correlated positively with exposure to family and community violence in the past month (r = .31, p < .001), and appetitive (r = .18, p = .002) and reactive aggression (r = .29, p < .001). The relationship between war-related trauma exposure and reactive aggressive behavior was mediated by PTSD symptoms and appetitive aggression. In a multiple sequential regression analysis, trauma exposure (β = .43, p < .001) and reactive aggression (β = .36, p < .001) were positively associated with PTSD symptoms, whereas appetitive aggression was negatively associated (β=−.13, p = .007) with PTSD symptoms. Our findings were congruent with the cycle of violence hypothesis and indicate a differential relation between distinct subtypes of aggression and PTSD.
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    Social Capital and Quality of Life among the Refugees residing in Mbarara City Southwestern Ugand
    (Research square, 2023) Kakai, Brenda; Bahati, Ronald; Otwine, Anne; Nzamuhiki, Steven; Ainamani, Herbert
    Introduction: Globally, social capital is considered a significant resource in improving quality of life among human beings. In this study, we aimed at assessing the proportions of forms of social capital and their association with the quality of life among the refugees living in Mbarara City southwestern Uganda. Methods This cross-sectional study used consecutive sampling method to select 344 refugees that were living in Mbarara city at the time of data collection. Refugees were assessed on their social capital using the World bank Social Capital Integrated Questionnaire. Quality of life was assessed using the World Health Organization questionnaire of quality of life. Data were analyzed using STATA. Descriptive statistics determined the occurrence of social capital while linear regression model determined the association between social capital and quality of life. Results Almost all participants endorsed one form of social capital, with majority of the participants [251(73%)] endorsing sociability, followed by trust and solidarity 186(54%), groups and networks were the least endorsed [170(49%)] within our sample. Our findings further showed that having high levels of trust and solidarity, positively correlated with quality of life (b = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.09 to 1.51; p = 0.027). Conclusions High social capital is likely to be associated with quality of life among refugees. Interventions aimed at building strong social capital are encouraged.