Psychosocial stressors related to extreme weather events and multiple resource insecurities: qualitative insights from refugee youth in an Ugandan humanitarian setting

Extreme weather events (EWE) contribute to heightened psychosocial stressors through complex pathways, including by worsening resource insecurities. Refugee settlements globally are disproportionately exposed to EWE compared with host national populations, yet refugees’ experiences of resource insecurity-related psychosocial stressors in low-income humanitarian settings are understudied. Our study focused on understanding the lived experiences of psychosocial stressors in the context of EWE and resource insecurity among refugee youth in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement, Uganda. This qualitative study involved 32 walk-along interviews with a purposive sample of refugee youth aged 16-24 (16 men, 16 women); youth led the interviewer to 1-3 places where they obtained food, water, and/or sanitation resources, discussed the place’s meaning and impact on wellbeing, and took photos. We also conducted 12 in-depth interviews with key informants with expertise in refugee youth wellbeing, EWE, and/or resource security. We conducted framework thematic analysis informed by resource scarcity and water insecurity-related distress frameworks. Participant narratives reflected four key themes regarding linkages between EWE, resource insecurities, and psychosocial distress: 1) material deprivation and uncertainty (sub-themes: drought-related food and water insecurity; flooding-related infrastructure and agricultural damage); 2) shame of social failure (sub-themes: sanitation insecurity stressors; unemployment and food insecurity distress and related substance use); 3) interpersonal conflict, including multi-level violence (sub-themes: increased violence; concerns about crime and theft); and 4) coping and asset management strategies (sub-themes: social and economic infrastructure; social capital; household relations). Together findings suggest the need for integrating psychosocial support within social and economic opportunities and poverty reduction with refugee youth. • Refugees’ extreme weather event-related psychosocial stressors are understudied • Refugee youth described material deprivation and uncertainty stressors • Refugee youth described resource insecurity related shame of social failure • Interpersonal conflict in communities and families was linked to poverty • Refugees enacted extreme weather event coping and asset management strategies