Resettled refugees from Muslim-majority countries are underrepresented in research and meeting their mental health needs remains a challenge for countries of resettlement. In this integrative review, we synthesize community-based mental health interventions using an ecological framework. Eleven relevant studies were identified using PubMed and PsychInfo database. Most interventions focus on micro-system level factors like promoting integration and social connections suggest improvement of outcomes including depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Studies suggest how mental health programs addressing psychosocial wellbeing improves outcomes across ecological levels through: (1) early screening upon resettlement; (2) education and raising awareness of mental health; and (3) engagement of refugees in local community social support systems. Largely qualitative studies suggest benefits of engagement and education program for refugees, but there is a need for high quality, rigorous mental health intervention studies with resettled refugees with explicit attention to equitable and collaborative partnerships across multiple sectors in the community.

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COVID-19 is a respiratory disease that was declared to be a pandemic by the WHO on March 11th, 2020. A catastrophic public health crisis, its effects are still being felt to this day and will certainly be experienced in the years to come–both in the United States and abroad. A 2021 report by the University of California-San Francisco Global Institute of Health Sciences critiqued the U.S response to the outbreak by assessing domestic leadership, the measures taken, and the resulting impact on healthcare, the economy, and American lives. From a political perspective, the report found that federal guidance was sluggish and unclear, leading to varied strategies among individual states; partisanship also contributed to the fragmented subnational measures. Additionally, the Center of Disease Control’s (CDC) early rejection and later promotion of face-mask use increased public division over masking mandates. This lack of organization extended towards public health interventions: ineffective contact-tracing and problems with test-kit development and capacity resulted in dramatically increased endemicity. Accompanying lockdowns continued to renew, shuttering businesses and leaving almost 27 million Americans unemployed by the end of 2020. The pandemic’s effects were especially seen in hospitals where ICUs greatly exceeded capacity and high burnout provoked physician attrition rates. Despite these shortcomings, the U.S commitment to creating a vaccine was notable. Collaboration between the private and public sectors led to a both accelerated and safe treatment development. Ultimately, the report concluded that preemptive measures should be taken to better fortify the U.S in the event of a future pandemic. Steps to consider include apolitical public health institutions, swift and better-coordinated responses from experts, and investments in resources to combat pathogen outbreaks.

Skid Row is an impoverished neighborhood in Los Angeles, also known as the homeless capital of America. Those experiencing homelessness have compounding needs that are largely unmet by existing safety-net systems. The goal of this study is to evaluate the needs of homeless individuals in the Skid Row community, to better tailor services for the homeless population residing in the area. For the study, the International Collegiate Health Initiative (ICHI), a 501(c)-3 nonprofit, conducted a community needs assessment and a comprehensive review of the literature regarding community-based solutions to addressing unmet needs of this population. A cross-sectional survey approach was utilized to conduct a community needs assessment of adults residing in Skid Row. The subsequent descriptive analysis of the data collected reveal unmet needs of individual’s health, social, and employment situations among unhoused individuals in Skid Row. Potential exists for the needs of the unhoused population to be met through various community efforts and public health interventions. The identified service priorities for mental health care, medical care, and employment services, are verified by prior literature which identifies high frequency of mental health issues, substance use, and underemployment in the population.