WiFi Use and Mental Health in a Refugee Camp in Italy

Abstract

Background: Migrants often rely on digital connectivity enabled by WiFi hotspots accessed via technologies such as mobile phones. However, there is a lack of evidence of the relationship between WiFi use and mental health during displacement. We assessed the relationship between symptoms of depressive disorder and digital connectivity, as well as potential mediating mental health outcomes of perceived social support and self-efficacy. Methods: This study included a cross-sectional, census survey of displaced individuals in a transit camp in Italy. The survey consisted of a structured questionnaire: connectivity was operationalized as WiFi use in the past week and mobile phone ownership. Mental health status was evaluated by interviewer-administered screening tools for depressive disorder (8-item Patient Health Questionnaire), perceived social support (Duke-UNC Functional Social Support Questionnaire), and self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale). Results: In total, 104 migrants were included (97% men). The median age was 26 years (interquartile range 22-30). Nearly two-thirds (72%) of participants accessed WiFi daily in the past week, and 60% owned a mobile phone. Over 86% of participants had symptoms consistent with moderate/major depressive disorder. There is a trend between daily access to WiFi in the past week and increased social support and perceived self-efficacy (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 0.52 – 3.13 and OR: 1.41, 95% CI 0.57 – 3.48, respectively), and lower odds of depressive symptoms (OR: 0.84, 95% CI 0.16 – 4.44). Interpretation: This data provides evidence of the role of WiFi access in the mental health of displaced persons in a refugee camp setting. Funding Statement: This research was conducted in a partnership between Technology for Development (T4D) of Mercy Corps and the Signal Program on Human Security and Technology at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI) and was funded by a subaward from the CiscoMercy Corps Technology for Impact partnership. Declaration of Interests: None to declare. Ethics Approval Statement: This study was under ethics review, oversight, and governance both in Italy and in the United States by the Ethics Committee of the Unita di Bioetica, Istituto Superiore di Sanita and the Institutional Review Board of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (Protocol IRB19-0692), respectively. Informed consent was obtained orally from all participants to avoid the potential risks of collecting participant names.