A joint mental health outreach camp in Northern Uganda has already surpassed its target after more than 600 people sought services in the first two days, with organisers reporting a high number of depression cases accompanied by suicidal tendencies.
The three-day Northern Uganda Joint Partner Mental Health Integrated Health Camp being held at Gulu Prison Primary School, was targeting about 500 people, but organisers now expect between 800 and 900 people to benefit by the end of the outreach.
Susan Akwir, a clinical psychologist and team leader at Wellness International, said the camp was organised in response to the increasing mental health burden in Northern Uganda.
She said the initiative brings together mental health service providers and health facilities to make specialised services accessible to communities while addressing stigma, myths and misconceptions surrounding mental illness. “By the second day, we had more than 600 people. And the flow is continuous, so we expect I think we will reach more than 800 people or 900 in this camp,” Akwir said.
The camp is in its second year and provides free mental health screening and specialist services that would otherwise be costly or difficult to access. Akwir said depression with suicidal tendencies was among the most common conditions identified so far, although she said the organisers would only establish accurate figures after analysing the data collected during the camp.
“So far we have seen so many cases of depression with actual suicidal tendencies,” she said. “I think that is the highest, but once we analyse our data we’ll be able to have accurate statistics.”
Every person attending the camp first undergoes mental health screening before being referred for appropriate care. Depending on the outcome, clients may be attended to by counsellors, psychologists or psychiatrists. The camp also provides psychosocial support, spiritual nurturing and services for people struggling with alcohol and substance use.
The organisers have also integrated general medical services to address physical health conditions that may occur alongside mental health problems. The services cover blood pressure, sugar levels, HIV and TB screening, eye examinations and cancer screening for cervical and breast cancer.
Health facilities and organisations participating in the outreach include Lacor, the Uganda Cancer Institute, the regional hospital, Bardege Health Centre, Victory Clinic and TASO, among others.
Akwir said the integration of services was intended to provide holistic care because people experiencing mental health problems may also have other medical conditions. She said delay to seek help remains one of the biggest challenges in managing mental illness in the region.
According to Akwir, many people only seek care after their conditions have become severe, increasing the need for specialised treatment and making recovery more difficult and expensive.
“One of the challenges is that people delay seeking help,” she said. “They come when they are in chronic stages, like they’ve really taken so long to get the help. And so, when they come, they don’t just need immediate support, they actually need to see a specialist.”
Akwir estimated that only an estimated 30-40 percent of people seek mental health support early enough, yet early recognition of warning signs could help people seek treatment before their conditions deteriorate. She attributed the delays partly to stigma and misconceptions, saying many people associate mental illness only with severe behaviour such as walking without clothes.
Akwir encouraged people to seek help when they notice persistent changes such as sadness, poor sleep, loss of interest in activities they previously enjoyed, irritability and desire to isolate themselves. “If we are able to recognise it early enough, that means we will be able to rescue ourselves and reduce the burden as much as possible,” she said.
She said the camp should not be viewed as a one-off solution because mental health problems cannot be resolved within three days. Clients requiring continued care are referred to service providers in their respective areas for follow-up treatment and support. She said the broader goal of the initiative is to change the perception of Northern Uganda as a region associated mainly with crises and instead strengthen access to mental health care and other essential health services.
One of the clients, who asked only to be identified as Ojok, said he went to the camp because he had been struggling with constant worry and stress. “It was affecting my sleep and my ability to concentrate on my daily work,” he said. “Talking to the mental health team has helped me understand what I am going through and given me hope that I can manage these challenges.”
Christine Lagum, another client, said she had struggled with frequent irritability for two years, and didn’t seek professional help though she heard that it could be a sign of mental illness, because she was afraid people would judge her. “When I came to the camp, I was able to talk freely with the counsellors and got guidance on how to cope with the challenges I have been facing,” she said. “I feel relieved after receiving the support.”
The organisers hope to attract more partners and resources in subsequent years to expand the outreach and sustain mental health services in the region.
According to the State of Uganda Population Report of 2025, about 24.2% of adults and 22.9% of children are affected by mental health conditions. Despite the burden, fewer than one in ten people who need care receive appropriate support.
