Highlights from the Dissemination Day in Kigali

One of the main objectives of the Psycavi Observatory is to disseminate knowledge generated by research and to promote its use by policymakers, practitioners, and the general population.

On August 12, 2025, a national day was held in Kigali to present the results of the epidemiological study on mental and cognitive health. The official opening was led by a representative of the Ministry of Health, who welcomed this initiative and reaffirmed the Rwandan government’s commitment to grounding its mental health policies in evidence-based data. Also in attendance were local authorities from the regions involved in the study, university researchers and professors, mental health professionals from public institutions, NGOs, and the private sector, as well as students.

Conducted with 1,782 participants across the country’s five provinces, the study revealed a prevalence of 18% for post-traumatic stress disorder and 19% for depression. Exposure to traumatic events emerged as the main risk factor, while schooling (formal education level) was identified as a key protective factor for both mental health and cognitive functioning.

The discussions highlighted several recommendations, the most important being:

• Strengthening education and awareness as essential levers for population well-being.
• Targeting the most vulnerable groups through specific and tailored interventions.
• Broadly disseminating research results by adapting messages to different audiences (policymakers, researchers, general public).