More than half of adults receiving neurological care at a hospital in Goma, in the conflict-affected east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, screened positive for trauma-related psychological distress, according to a hospital-based cross-sectional study published in Discover Psychology. Among 569 participants, 324, or 56.9 percent, scored above the threshold on the 10-item Trauma Screening Questionnaire, a result the authors emphasize reflects a positive screening, not a psychiatric diagnosis.
The survey was conducted at CIMAK in Goma between December 2024 and March 2025. Adults with a current, clinician-confirmed neurological disorder were systematically sampled. The Trauma Screening Questionnaire was scored from 0 to 10, with scores of 6 or higher defining a positive screening result. The researchers used explanatory multivariable logistic regression to examine sociodemographic, clinical, and contextual factors associated with positive screening, modeling age in categories because it showed a nonlinear relationship with the log-odds of a positive result.
The strongest association was with conflict-related trauma exposure: participants reporting such exposure had 12.60 times the adjusted odds of screening positive compared with those who did not, a 95 percent confidence interval of 7.96 to 19.94 and a p-value below 0.001. Substance use was also associated with higher odds, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.28 (95 percent CI 1.42 to 3.66; p < 0.001).
Age showed a more complex pattern. Compared with participants aged 18 to 29 years, those aged 30 to 44 years had 2.81 times the adjusted odds of positive screening (95 percent CI 1.54 to 5.14), and those aged 45 to 59 years had 3.67 times the odds (95 percent CI 1.81 to 7.41). The group aged 60 and older did not differ significantly from the youngest group. Male sex and urban residence were associated with lower odds of a positive screening result, while a history of traumatic brain injury did not remain statistically significant after adjustment.
The study population was 301 female participants, or 52.9 percent, with 440 participants, or 77.3 percent, living in urban areas, and a mean age of 40.5 plus or minus 19.8 years. The authors note that prolonged armed conflict in eastern DRC creates substantial psychological stress, yet evidence among patients receiving neurological care had remained limited, motivating this survey of screening prevalence and its associated factors.
The authors conclude that positive screening on the Trauma Screening Questionnaire was common among adults receiving neurological care in this conflict-affected setting, and that the findings support trauma-informed psychological screening and referral within neurological services. They stress, however, that cross-sectional screening results are neither causal estimates nor psychiatric diagnoses, and the study’s hospital-based design means the figures describe this sampled patient population rather than the general population of the region.
Subject of Research: Prevalence of positive trauma screening and associated factors among neurological care patients in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo
Article Title: Prevalence of trauma-related psychological distress and associated factors among patients receiving neurological care in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study
Article References: Kamabu, L. K., Bakesiga, A., Sikakulya, F. K., Bisimwa, M. A., Lekuya, H. M., Kangitsi, C. K., & Maheshe, F. P. (2026). Prevalence of trauma-related psychological distress and associated factors among patients receiving neurological care in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: a cross-sectional study. Discover Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44202-026-00946-7
Image Credits: AI Generated
DOI: 10.1007/s44202-026-00946-7
Keywords: trauma, psychological distress, Democratic Republic of the Congo, neurological care, cross-sectional study, Trauma Screening Questionnaire, armed conflict, Goma, substance use, mental health screening, Prevalence, trauma-related
Cite Scienmag News
Glenn Wilkins. (October 28, 2026). Over Half of Neurology Patients in Eastern Congo Screen Positive for Trauma Distress. Scienmag. https://scienmag.com/over-half-of-neurology-patients-in-eastern-congo-screen-positive-for-trauma-distress/
Glenn Wilkins. "Over Half of Neurology Patients in Eastern Congo Screen Positive for Trauma Distress." Scienmag, 28 October 2026, https://scienmag.com/over-half-of-neurology-patients-in-eastern-congo-screen-positive-for-trauma-distress/. Accessed 29 October 2026.
Glenn Wilkins. "Over Half of Neurology Patients in Eastern Congo Screen Positive for Trauma Distress." Scienmag. October 28, 2026. https://scienmag.com/over-half-of-neurology-patients-in-eastern-congo-screen-positive-for-trauma-distress/
