Amodu Oluwakemi, Janes Craig R, Pangan Karen Therese L
Faculty of Nursing, University of Alberta.
Faculty of Health of the University of Waterloo.
Glob Ment Health (Camb). 2024 Dec 10;11:e122. doi: 10.1017/gmh.2024.110. eCollection 2024.
The COVID-19 pandemic brought to light the need to address the psychosocial and mental health needs of refugees and internally displaced persons in low- and middle-income countries. COVID-19 prevention measures slowed essential services and healthcare, creating unique challenges for refugees and IDPs, including economic insecurity and societal instability. All of these factors may contribute to the reported declines in their psychosocial well-being.
To effectively define the problems of low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) in addressing the needs of these populations, we conducted a systematic literature review of literature on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of refugees and displaced persons who have migrated between LMICs in the context of COVID-19.
Our findings indicate that mental health interventions, such as digital healthcare and community-focused solutions, have the potential to address the problems faced by refugees and IDPs. Nevertheless, these community-based support networks are overextended, continuously developing to meet the needs of these vulnerable populations while considering the limited digital literacy of the subject population, internet accessibility, and overall limits in reach. We found that the efficacy of interventions varied according to the distinctive needs and challenges of various refugee and IDP populations.
The findings indicate a need for an intersectional policy approach to address the complex network of factors influencing mental health outcomes, including gender, housing, employment status, and social inequalities. Global agencies, policymakers, and local governments must prioritize the development of comprehensive mental health support systems, assuring refugees and IDPs have sustainable and equitable access.
新冠疫情凸显了满足低收入和中等收入国家难民及境内流离失所者心理社会和心理健康需求的必要性。新冠疫情防控措施减缓了基本服务和医疗保健的提供，给难民和境内流离失所者带来了独特挑战，包括经济不安全和社会不稳定。所有这些因素可能导致报告显示他们的心理社会福祉下降。
为有效界定低收入和中等收入国家在满足这些人群需求方面存在的问题，我们对新冠疫情背景下在低收入和中等收入国家之间迁移的难民和流离失所者心理健康及心理社会福祉方面的文献进行了系统的文献综述。
我们的研究结果表明，数字医疗保健和以社区为重点的解决方案等心理健康干预措施有潜力解决难民和境内流离失所者面临的问题。然而，这些基于社区的支持网络负担过重，在考虑受影响人群有限的数字素养、互联网接入情况以及总体覆盖范围限制的同时，仍不断发展以满足这些弱势群体的需求。我们发现，干预措施的效果因不同难民和境内流离失所者群体的独特需求和挑战而有所不同。
研究结果表明，需要采取一种交叉性政策方法来应对影响心理健康结果的复杂因素网络，包括性别、住房、就业状况和社会不平等。全球机构、政策制定者和地方政府必须优先发展全面的心理健康支持系统，确保难民和境内流离失所者能够获得可持续和公平的服务。
