Risk and protective factors of depression among caregivers of children with disabilities in rural Rwanda

BACKGROUND: Caregivers of children with disabilities are at increased risk of experiencing poor mental health due to the compound effects of financial and family stressors. This study aims to identify risk and protective factors for poor mental health, particularly depression, among caregivers of young children with disabilities. METHODS: This is a secondary data analysis, including a total of 1518 caregivers who were enrolled at baseline in a cluster randomised trial evaluating the effects of Sugira Muryango, a home-visiting parenting intervention, on early child development and violence prevention outcomes. A total of 309 primary caregivers were identified as having a child aged 12-36 months who screened positive for some form of developmental delay. Associations between key sociodemographic and household characteristics and depression outcomes were explored using multivariable linear regression models. RESULTS: Among the sample of caregivers of children with disabilities, 65% met the clinical cut-off for likely depression. Economic hardship (β=0.158, p