Social Support Moderates the Stigma of Being a Refugee

Abstract

Background: Social support has been documented as playing an important and positive role in the health and well-being of refugees right from escape from their country of origin to their final new settlement. It relates to the experience of being valued, respected, cared about, and loved by others who are present in one’s life. Our study aimed to determine the prevalence of stigma and the association between social support and stigma among African refugees living in Mbarara city, southwestern Uganda. Methods: African refugees who had settled in Mbarara city for at least twelve months before the study totaling 343 were assessed on the prevalence of stigma and the role perceived social support in their daily functioning. Stigma was measured by the Discrimination and Stigma Scale-12 while social support was measured using the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MDSPSS). Using SPSSV26, descriptive statistics were calculated to determine the prevalence of refugee stigma. Linear regression analysis was used to examine the associations between the predictor and outcome variables. Results: Most of the participants 84% (n = 288) reported to have experienced stigma. Of these, 122 (36%) were females and 166 (48%) were males. Results revealed that 56% (n = 193) of the participants reported to have experienced enacted stigma whereas 70% refugees living in urban areas in Uganda. However, a unit increase in the level of social support reduces the level of stigma experienced. We recommend that interventions that improve social support networks of refugees in urban areas to be designed. (n = 239) experienced internalized stigma. There were no significant differences across gender in the experience of stigma (χ2 = 4.006, p = 0.940). Results of the hierarchical linear model showed that social support had a statisically significant negative association with stigma (b = −0.44; 95% CI −0.51 to −0.36). Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of stigma among African