Studies
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 TextMeeting the Needs of Older Adult Refugee Populations with Home Health Services
Publication Year: 2017
Outcome(s): Anxiety Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Services to Older Refugees
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Adult refugees are at risk for negative health outcomes and inefficient health resource use, and meeting the multiple health needs of this vulnerable population is a challenge. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of a home health care (HHC) pilot project on meeting the needs of older adult refugee patients. A …
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Paid Full TextEvidence-Based Psychological Interventions for Adult Survivors Of Torture And Trauma: A 30-Year Review
Publication Year: 2012
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, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
The article presents a review of research on psychological interventions for adult resettled refugees, asylum seekers, and displaced persons. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) was conducted with the assistance of several databases such as PsycINFO, PubMed, and social services abstracts. Most of the studies report notable improvement in participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, …
Paid Full TextMental Health Interventions in Canada for Migrants Affected by State-Sanctioned Violence: An Effectiveness Study
Publication Year: 2011
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: Inconclusive or mixed impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
This paper aims to describe the effectiveness of mental health interventions for migrants affected by extreme political violence. It is a literature review and synthesis of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) interventions for Canadian-landed migrants who have been affected by state-sanctioned violence. Conceptualisations of trauma in current mental health systems may not be appropriate for this …
Free Full TextComplementary and Alternative Medicine in the Treatment of Refugees and Survivors of Torture: A Review and Proposal for Action
Publication Year: 2012
Outcome(s): General Distress 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
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
Survivors of torture and refugee trauma often have increased needs for mental and physical healthcare. This is due in part to the complex sequelae of trauma, including chronic pain, major depressive disorder, PTSD, and somatization. This article reviews the scientific medical literature for the efficacy and feasibility of some complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) modalities …
Free Full TextThe Effectiveness of Narrative Exposure Therapy: a Review, Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression Analysis
Publication Year: 2019
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, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Meta-analysis
Narrative exposure therapy (NET) is a short-term psychological treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has been investigated in various contexts among traumatized refugees and other trauma survivors. Sustained treatment results have been reported, but the methodological quality of the trials needs a more thorough examination. To evaluate the effectiveness of NET for survivors of …
Free Full TextTrauma-Focused Therapy for Refugees: Meta-Analytic Findings
Publication Year: 2015
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: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Meta-analysis
High levels of trauma-related psychological distress have been documented among ethnically diverse refugees. As the number of refugees worldwide continues to grow, determining the efficacy of established methods of trauma-focused therapy for this population is crucial. This meta-analysis examined the results of randomized controlled trials of psychotherapeutic intervention for traumatized adult refugees. Comparisons of 13 …
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Free Full TextGuidelines for Psychiatric Care of Torture Survivors
Publication Year: 2011
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, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
Refugees and asylum seekers who are torture survivors have a high risk of psychiatric disorders. A great deal is known about the biology of these disorders and their treatments. Psychotropic medications can provide rapid improvement in symptoms and therefore need to be initiated early in treatment. All survivors who have positive symptoms should have a …
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Free Full TextPreventive Mental Health Interventions for Refugee Children and Adolescents in High Income Settings
Publication Year: 2018
Outcome(s): Depression Reduction, General Distress Reduction, PTSD Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Children's Services, Refugee School Impact Program, Services to Older Refugees, Unaccompanied Children's Services, Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact, Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
The mental health of refugee children and adolescents is a multifaceted phenomenon that needs to be understood and addressed across multiple sectors that influence all potential determinants of health, including housing, education, economic opportunities, and the larger policy and political context including immigration. The current state of interventions to address mental health problems in refugee …
Paid Full TextDealing with Difference: A Scoping Review of Psychotherapeutic Interventions with Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Publication Year: 2018
Outcome(s): General Distress Reduction
Intervention(s): Mental health and psychosocial support services
Relevant ORR Program(s): Unaccompanied Refugee Minors
Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact
Strength of Evidence: Strong
Type of Study: Systematic review
Unaccompanied refugee minors (URMs) are a population at risk for developing mental problems, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and/or depression. Therapists working with URMs often have to overcome language and cultural barriers, while taking into account these young people’s specific needs. A growing literature describes a wide range of interventions designed to reduce psychopathologies and improve …
Free Full TextIntermediated Communication by Interpreters in Psychotherapy with Traumatized Refugees
Publication Year: 2011
Outcome(s): Depression Reduction, General Distress 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: Positive impact
Strength of Evidence: Suggestive
Type of Study: Suggestive evidence
Immigrants in need of psychotherapy are often confronted with the fact that there is no psychotherapist available with whom they can proceed in a common language understood well by both. In some cases psychotherapy with communication intermediated by interpreters is offered. This study compares the outcome of 190 individual psychotherapies with refugees with PTSD, half …
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