Former Kellogg International Development minor, Mariah Horvath (22’) recently published her senior capstone project Depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and perceived social support among Ugandan palliative care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mariah worked with Lacey Ahern and Steve Reifenberg to develop this project during her time with Kellogg.
The study worked to identify the mental health levels of Ugandan palliative care providers during the Covid-19 Pandemic and their measures of outside social support. This was done to help identify factors affecting a provider's likelihood of being depressed, anxious, or distressed.
The study surveyed 123 palliative care workers, gathering data from numerous widely used tools such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The results found that 20% of respondents show signs of depression, 14% show signs of anxiety, and 33% show signs of psychological distress. As well it was found that over 50% of respondents expressed a desire for more mental health resources at their workplace.
These results provided feedback for providers of a desire for enhanced access to mental health resources, allowing them to establish resources and better prepare for future crises.
Mariah Horvath is now a student at the University of Colorado Medical School, where she was accepted in their Global Health Track, allowing her to continue her global health research.