Evidence
Evidence Database | Advanced Evidence Search | Evidence Summaries
This library hosts materials developed by Switchboard and by former Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-funded technical assistance (TA) providers (most in fiscal years 2016-2018, with selected earlier materials). This library links materials externally where: their formats were incompatible with internal hosting; they were developed by current ORR-funded TA providers; or they were developed by non-ORR funded authors who granted permission for the links.
Author Definitions
Paid Full TextUnderstanding Immigration Trauma and the Potential of Home Visiting Among Immigrant and Refugee Families
Publication Year: 2019
Outcome area(s): Mental Health
Intervention(s): Trauma-Informed Approaches
Relevant ORR Program(s): Children's Services, Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
This article examines the outcomes of implementing a trauma-informed home visiting program in a refugee/immigrant serving mental health program in Chicago, Illinois. The mental health program used the Baby TALK home visiting program model, an evidence-based relational approach to supporting pregnant mothers and families with children less than 3 years old. The authors share findings …
Free Full TextRandomized Controlled Trial of a Multilevel Intervention to Address Social Determinants of Refugee Mental Health
Publication Year: 2020
Outcome area(s): Mental Health
Intervention(s): Strengths-Based Approaches
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
Understanding processes that support the well-being of the unprecedented numbers of forcibly displaced people throughout the world is essential. Growing evidence documents post-migration stressors related to marginalization as key social determinants of refugee mental health. The goal of this RCT was to rigorously test a social justice approach to reducing high rates of distress among …
Free Full TextHealth Realization Community Coping Intervention for Somali Refugee Women
Publication Year: 2019
Outcome area(s): Mental Health
Intervention(s): Strengths-Based Approaches
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
Health Realization (HR) is a strengths-based stress and coping intervention used to promote the use of internal and external coping resources. Our three-arm comparison group trial examined the effects of a culturally adapted Somali HR intervention on coping and mental health outcomes in 65 Somali refugee women post-resettlement. Subjects participated one of three conditions: HR …
Health Realization Community Coping Intervention for Somali Refugee Women Read More »
Paid Full TextBuilding Resilience in Transcultural Adolescents: An Evaluation of a Group Program
Publication Year: 2019
Outcome area(s): Mental Health
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services, Strengths-Based Approaches
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Youth Mentoring
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
This study investigates the effectiveness of Building Resilience in Transcultural Australians (BRiTA Futures) for Adolescents, a strengths-based group intervention developed to build the resilience of culturally and linguistically diverse adolescents who experience acculturation in the context of their migration and resettlement journey. The study examined the effectiveness of the intervention using qualitative and quantitative procedures. …
Building Resilience in Transcultural Adolescents: An Evaluation of a Group Program Read More »
Paid Full TextBuilding on the Strengths of a Cambodian Refugee Community Through Community-Based Outreach
Publication Year: 2008
Outcome area(s): Mental Health
Intervention(s): Strengths-Based Approaches
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Services to Older Refugees
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Literature and practice are limited on strategies to reach elder Southeast Asian refugees by using their strengths and resilience. This article presents the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-funded Cambodian Community Health 2010 Program in Lowell, Massachusetts, as a case example. It provides refugee history, project background, community survey results about strengths and risks, …
Free Full TextEnhancing Need Satisfaction to Reduce Psychological Distress in Syrian Refugees
Publication Year: 2016
Outcome(s): Depression Reduction, General Distress Reduction, PTSD Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: No impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Moderate
Type of Study: Impact evaluation
Becoming a refugee is a potent risk factor for indicators of psychological distress such as depression, generalized stress, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), though research into this vulnerable population has been scant, with even less work focusing on interventions. The current study applied principles from self-determination theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2000) to develop and …
Enhancing Need Satisfaction to Reduce Psychological Distress in Syrian Refugees Read More »
Free Full TextCommon Mental Disorders in Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Umbrella Review of Prevalence and Intervention Studies
Publication Year: 2017
Outcome(s): Anxiety Reduction, Depression Reduction, PTSD Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact, No impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
In recent years there has been a progressive rise in the number of asylum seekers and refugees displaced from their country of origin, with significant social, economic, humanitarian, and public health implications. In this population, up-to-date information on the rate and characteristics of mental health conditions, and on interventions that can be implemented once mental …
Free Full TextEfficacy and Acceptability of Psychosocial Interventions in Asylum Seekers and Refugees: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Publication Year: 2019
Outcome(s): Anxiety Reduction, Depression Reduction, PTSD Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact, No impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Meta-analysis
Aims: In the past few years, there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of forcibly displaced migrants worldwide, of which a substantial proportion is refugees and asylum seekers. It is therefore timely and particularly relevant to assess whether current evidence supports the provision of psychosocial interventions for this population. Authors conducted a systematic …
Paid Full TextA Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for Adult Refugees and Asylum Seekers
Publication Year: 2019
Outcome(s): Anxiety Reduction, Depression Reduction, PTSD Reduction, Somatic Symptoms Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Services to Older Refugees
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
Europe is in the midst of the largest refugee migration since the Second World War; there is an urgent need to provide an updated systematic review of the current best evidence for managing mental distress in refugee populations. The aim of this review is to provide an exhaustive summary of the current literature on psychosocial …
A Systematic Review of Psychosocial Interventions for Adult Refugees and Asylum Seekers Read More »
Paid Full TextPsychological Interventions for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Publication Year: 2018
Outcome(s): Depression Reduction, PTSD Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Ethnic Community Self-Help Program, Preferred Communities, Refugee Health Promotion, Refugee Support Services, Services to Older Refugees
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact, No impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Meta-analysis
There is a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugee and asylum seeker populations which can pose distinct challenges for mental health professionals. This review included 16 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with 1111 participants investigating the effect of psychological interventions on PTSD in these populations. Despite the challenges of conducting research in this …