Mental Health, Translational Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia.
Centre for Mental Health, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
BMC Psychiatry. 2020 Jun 18;20(1):314. doi: 10.1186/s12888-020-02732-8.
Refugee populations have particularly high rates of mental health problems, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, uptake of mental health care may be low even when severe depression and PTSD symptoms are present in individuals following resettlement. This is likely due, at least in part, to cultural influences on refugees' knowledge and beliefs about mental health problems and their treatment. We sought to provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a culturally tailored mental health promotion program for Arabic-speaking refugees.
A total of 33 Arabic-speaking refugees resettled in South Western Sydney were recruited and completed intervention which consisted of weekly three-hour sessions for 4 weeks delivered in Arabic. Key aspects of mental health literacy, help-seeking intentions and levels of general psychological distress were assessed, by means of a self-report survey, pre-intervention, (immediately) post-intervention and 3 months following intervention.
Of the 33 participants that completed the intervention, 31 completed the immediate post-intervention survey and 29 completed the 3 months follow-up survey. Improvements in most aspects of mental health literacy assessed were found immediately post-intervention and at follow-up, although only changes relating to stigmatising attitudes were statistically significant. Additionally, a statistically significant decrease in participants' levels of general psychological distress was observed immediately following the intervention, and this decrease was sustained at follow-up.
While further research employing a more rigorous study design and larger sample size will be needed, results of this initial trial suggest that a culturally tailored mental health promotion program targeting key aspects of mental health literacy can improve the mental health of Arabic-speaking refugees resettled in a Western nation.
难民群体的心理健康问题发生率特别高，包括创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）和抑郁症。然而，即使在个体重新安置后面临严重抑郁和 PTSD 症状时，他们接受心理健康护理的可能性也很低。这可能至少部分归因于文化对难民对心理健康问题及其治疗的知识和信念的影响。我们试图为针对讲阿拉伯语的难民的文化适应性心理健康促进计划的有效性提供初步证据。
共招募了 33 名在澳大利亚西南悉尼重新安置的讲阿拉伯语的难民，并完成了干预措施，该干预措施由每周 3 小时的 4 周阿拉伯语课程组成。通过自我报告调查，在干预前（立即）、干预后和干预后 3 个月评估心理健康素养、寻求帮助的意图和一般心理困扰水平的关键方面。
在完成干预的 33 名参与者中，有 31 名完成了即时干预后调查，有 29 名完成了 3 个月随访调查。干预后立即和随访时评估的心理健康素养的大多数方面都有所改善，尽管只有与污名化态度相关的变化具有统计学意义。此外，参与者的一般心理困扰水平在干预后立即显著下降，并且这种下降在随访时得以维持。
虽然需要进行更多采用更严格研究设计和更大样本量的研究，但这项初步试验的结果表明，针对心理健康素养关键方面的文化适应性心理健康促进计划可以改善在西方国家重新安置的讲阿拉伯语的难民的心理健康。
