A Systematic Review of the Protective and Risk Factors Influencing the Mental Health of Forced Migrants: Implications for Sustainable Intercultural Mental Health Practice

Abstract

This systematic review followed the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement to synthesizes the existing literature with a goal to review current conceptual frameworks of mental health of forced migrants for further practice research priorities in social work. The search was done between January 2015 to January 2021. As a result, 29 studies met inclusion criteria. Medicalizing mental health issues by relying solely on the effectiveness of medicine was a controversial risk factor that negatively affected the daily life activities of refugees and reduced their willingness for seeking professional mental health services. Empowering vulnerable minorities by giving them back their power and agency to be able to speak for themselves and raise voices of trauma and recovery was the missing protective factor for sustainable mental health practice. The benefits of group-based interventions are highlighted in which communities and individuals address mental health issues as well as isolation through building collective identities and support networks. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can add more strength to any kind of mental health intervention. Finally, the benefits of applying ecological perspective for the mental health of refugees, and its implications for a sustainable intercultural practice are discussed. Social workers in this model are the representatives of at-risk groups, thus need more agency and creativity in reflecting client’s concrete needs.

Creating Brave Spaces in Higher Education: A Short Interprofessional Education Exchange to Support Refugees’ Psychosocial Needs

“…Due to the complex trajectory of forced migration, multidimensional and long-term interventions that address the social determinants of health have a significant impact on the mental health and well-being of refugees (Blackmore et al, 2020;Bulik & Collucci, 2019;Kemmak et al, 2021). Also important is the provision of culturally sensitive mental health services to achieve appropriate services in forced migrants (Farahani et al, 2021) that counter the distrust of public mental health care providers and reluctance to seek help (Colucci et al, 2015;Majumder et al, 2015). Thus, efforts to address the diverse and complex needs of refugees require a holistic and comprehensive approach (Sheath et al, 2020) and collaboration across multiple disciplines and sectors (Hynie, 2018;Priebe et al, 2016;WHO, 2010).…”