IMPACT REPORT | OCTOBER 2026
What 18 child development centres in six districts told us, and what it will take to care for them
In 2026 Stress Clinic Uganda screened 4,270 children, young people, caregivers and adults for mental health difficulties at 18 child development centres in Gulu, Nwoya, Amuru, Omoro, Agago and Pader districts. Every person received an individual case file that explained their result in plain language, and every centre received a report.
The screening shows a lot of need. 1,066 people, one in four, scored in a tier that calls for clinical follow-up, rapid support or urgent attention. Among 500 adolescents, 60 told us about thoughts of ending their lives or a past attempt. These are screening results, not diagnoses, but they match what published research from this region would lead us to expect
The harder fact is that none of these people has yet received follow-up care, because it has not been funded. We can say who needs help and where. We cannot yet say that they were helped.