scholarly journals Fostering mental health and well‐being among workers who support refugees and asylum seekers in the Australian context

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (5) ◽  
pp. 1658-1670
Author(s):  
Miriam Posselt ◽  
Amy Baker ◽  
Carolyn Deans ◽  
Nicholas Procter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Australian Context ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
Health And Well Being

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Factors Affecting Mental Health and Well-Being of Asylum Seekers and Refugees in Germany

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivien L. Hajak ◽  
Srishti Sardana ◽  
Helen Verdeli ◽  
Simone Grimm
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Psychological Distress ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Contextual Factors ◽  
Well Being ◽  
German Studies ◽  
Psychological Well Being ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees

Background: Since the onset of the 2015 European refugee crisis, ~4. 46 million people have sought asylum in the European Union, with Germany logging the largest share of all asylum applications. In addition to the severe adversities before and during flight, the process of settling into a new environment involves stressors that affect psychological well-being and mental health. The aim of this systematic review was to examine contextual factors during post-migration that influence the mental health and well-being of asylum seekers and refugees (ASRs) in Germany.Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across multiple databases for English and German studies published between 2015 and 2020 with index keywords.Results: From a total of 303 articles, 156 duplicates were removed and, after title review, another 87 were excluded for not meeting the inclusion criteria. After assessing the abstracts of the remaining 60 articles, 39 were excluded. Full texts of 21 articles were assessed for eligibility and after excluding 8 articles, 13 articles were included in the review. The results demonstrate high rates of psychological distress among ASRs in Germany and the significant influence of contextual factors on their mental health and psychological well-being. The risk factors for poor mental health include an uncertain asylum status, living in shared asylum accommodations, separation from the nuclear family, lack of German language skills, integration issues and discrimination, while employment is a protective factor.Conclusion: Asylum seekers and refugees have high prevalence rates of psychological distress directly influenced by contextual factors in Germany. Based on these findings, policy makers are strongly recommended to apply preventive strategies to reduce mental health problems of ASRs in Germany.

scholarly journals Assessing the impact of artistic and cultural activities on the health and well-being of forcibly displaced people using participatory action research

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. e025465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clelia Clini ◽  
Linda J M Thomson ◽  
Helen J Chatterjee
Keyword(s):  
Focus Groups ◽  
Participatory Action Research ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
Cultural Activities ◽  
Displaced People ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Health And Well Being

ObjectiveDrawing on a growing body of research suggesting that taking part in artistic and cultural activities benefits health and well-being, the objective was to develop a participatory action research (PAR) method for assessing the impact of arts interventions on forcibly displaced people, and identify themes concerning perceived benefits of such programmes.DesignA collaborative study following PAR principles of observation, focus groups and in-depth semistructured interviews.SettingLondon-based charity working with asylum seekers and refugees.ParticipantsAn opportunity sample (n=31; 6 males) participated in focus groups comprising refugees/asylum seekers (n=12; 2 males), volunteers (n=4; 1 males) and charity staff (n=15; 3 males). A subset of these (n=17; 3 males) participated in interviews comprising refugees/asylum seekers (n=7; 1 males), volunteers (n=7; 1 males) and charity staff (n=3; 1 males).ResultsFocus group findings showed that participants articulated the impact of creative activities around three main themes: skills, social engagement and personal emotions that were explored during in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis of interviews was conducted in NVivo 11 and findings showed that artistic and cultural activities impacted positively by helping participants find a voice, create support networks and learn practical skills useful in the labour market.ConclusionsThe study expanded on arts and well-being research by exploring effects of cultural and creative activities on the psychosocial well-being of refugees and asylum seekers. By focusing on the relationship between arts, well-being and forced displacement, the study was instrumental in actively trying to change the narrative surrounding refugees and asylum seekers, often depicted in negative terms in the public sphere.

The Mental Health Implications of Britain's Conservative Party Immigration Plan

2005 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas G. Procter
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Conservative Party ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Health Implications ◽  
Immigration Laws ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Health And Well Being

This paper examines mental health issues surrounding Tory Party plans to radically change Britains' immigration laws making the processes attendant upon seeking asylum tougher for those who try. By looking beyond taken-forgranted assumptions associated with refugees and asylum seeking, a number of questions emerge from the Tory Party Plans. The mental health implications of the Tory Party plan for mandatory detention and processing according to quota rather than need are that individual suffering of asylum seekers is likely to be detrimental to individual mental health and well-being.

scholarly journals A Scoping Review and Conceptual Model of Social Participation and Mental Health among Refugees and Asylum Seekers

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (20) ◽  
pp. 4027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Niemi ◽  
Hélio Manhica ◽  
David Gunnarsson ◽  
Göran Ståhle ◽  
Sofia Larsson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Social Participation ◽  
Scoping Review ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Structures ◽  
Mental Health Outcomes ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

Social participation plays a key role in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into their host societies, and is also closely tied to the mental health of those populations. The aim of this scoping review was to study how the concept of social participation is described in empirical research, and how it is associated with mental health outcomes. Methods: In total, 64 studies were identified through searches in PubMed, PsycInfo, and Sociological Abstracts. These studies describe various forms of social participation among refugees and asylum seekers, and 33 of them also addressed various forms of mental health outcomes. Results: The identified studies described forms and conditions of social participation—both in the host country and transnationally—that could be synthesized into three broad dimensions: (1) Regulatory frameworks, conditions and initiatives; (2) Established societal organizations and social structures; and (3) Community organized groups. Each of these consisted of several sub-domains. The identified dimensions of social participation were also associated with psychosocial well-being and decreased psychological distress. Conclusions: There is a need for policies to enable and support the participation of refugees and asylum seekers in various dimensions of social structures in host societies. Social participation enhances resilience, re-establishes social lives, and acts as a protective factor against poor mental health outcomes.

scholarly journals Mindfulness-Based Trauma Recovery for Refugees (MBTR-R): Randomized Waitlist-Control Evidence of Efficacy and Safety

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Reebs ◽  
Kim Yuval ◽  
Yuval Hadash ◽  
Solomon Gebreyohans Gebremariam ◽  
Amit Bernstein
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Health Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Intervention ◽  
Trauma Recovery ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Waitlist Control ◽  
Trauma History ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

Background: Worldwide, refugees and asylum seekers suffer at high rates from trauma- and stress-related mental health problems. We thus developed Mindfulness-Based Trauma Recovery for Refugees (MBTR-R) – a 9-week, mindfulness- and compassion-based, trauma-sensitive and socio-culturally adapted, group intervention for refugees and asylum seekers. Aims: We assessed whether MBTR-R is an efficacious and safe mental health intervention for traumatized asylum seekers. Method: We conducted a randomized waitlist-control trial of MBTR-R among a community sample of 158 Eritrean asylum seekers (46.2% female, 53.8% male) with severe trauma history and ongoing post-migration stress. Results: Eighty-three of 98 participants randomized to MBTR-R and 48 of 60 randomized to waitlist-control condition were prospectively retained and completed pre- and post-intervention assessment. Relative to waitlist-controls, MBTR-R intervention completers (> 4 sessions attended) demonstrated significantly reduced rates and symptom severity of PTSD, depression, anxiety and multi-morbidity – at post-intervention and at 5-week follow-up; as well as improved well-being at post-intervention, but not follow-up. Intent-To-Treat sample effects were identical, though smaller in magnitude. Second, intervention effects were not dependent on key demographic factors, post-migration living difficulties or trauma history severity. Finally, no MBTR-R participant demonstrated lasting clinically significant deterioration in any of the monitored symptoms or well-being. Importantly, MBTR-R appears to be efficacious and safe for highly traumatized and chronically stressed asylum seekers in an urban post-displacement setting. High attendance and low study attrition suggest that MBTR-R may be a feasible and acceptable mental health intervention among asylum seekers. Due to its brief intervention format and group-based delivery, MBTR-R may be readily implemented and well-suited for scaling. Considering fast-growing human rights and mental health crisis of forced displacement, and extensive barriers to mental health intervention delivery among refugees and asylum seekers, observed MBTR-R efficacy and safety are promising.

Towards culturally inclusive mental health: learning from focus groups with those with refugee and asylum seeker status in Plymouth

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Fish ◽  
Olivia Fakoussa
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Asylum Seeker ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Set Up ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Health And Well Being ◽  
Asylum Seekers And Refugees

Purpose Pre- and post-immigration trauma and stress make refugees a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health and well-being. The purpose of this paper is to describe a listening project undertaken in Plymouth, UK, which sought the views of 17 service users (n=12) and staff (n=5) from four local support organisations, for people with refugee and asylum seeker status and those with diverse cultural backgrounds. Aims of the project were to expand Western-centric understandings regarding beneficial support and the promotion of good mental health and well-being in this population. Design/methodology/approach Responses were subjected to thematic analysis, co-conducted with a service user. Participants were asked about their personal understandings of mental health and well-being and what supports or hinders well-being. Findings The findings enabled the development of a model incorporating 10 threads which support and 9 holes that can hinder well-being. Research limitations/implications The relatively small numbers of participants compared with the numbers of asylum seekers and refugees in Plymouth may not be fully representative of the general population in Plymouth and the UK. Originality/value Despite increasing cultural diversity within the UK population, available mental health services exist mainly as developed from a Western psychological model of mental distress and treatment. This research provides services with a more informed understanding of mental health for asylum seekers and refugees. As such it is of value towards future service design in Plymouth and the UK. Findings also contributed to a successful funding bid to set up a peer-led support project in the city.

Overcoming the deficiency of refugee mental health research

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristina Kalfic ◽  
Glenn Mitchell ◽  
Lezanne Ooi ◽  
Sibylle Schwab ◽  
Natalie Matosin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Asylum Seekers ◽  
Scientific Discovery ◽  
Mental Health Research ◽  
Psychiatric Research ◽  
Risk And Resilience ◽  
Refugee Mental Health ◽  
Refugees And Asylum Seekers

The growing number of refugees and asylum seekers are one of the most significant global challenges of this generation. We are currently witnessing the highest level of displacement in history, with over 65 million displaced people in the world. Refugees and asylum seekers are at higher risk to develop mental illness due to their trauma and chronic stress exposures, and particularly post-migration stressors. Yet global and Australian psychiatric research in this area is greatly lacking, particularly with respect to our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of risk and resilience to mental illness in traumatised populations. In this Viewpoint, we explore the reasons behind the lack of refugee mental health research and use this context to propose new ways forward. We believe that scientific discovery performed with a multidisciplinary approach will provide the broad evidence-base required to improve refugee mental health. This will also allow us to work towards the removal of damaging policies that prolong and potentiate mental health deterioration among refugees and asylum seekers, which impacts not only on the individuals but also host countries’ social, economic and healthcare systems.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document