Common Threads: Improving the Mental Health of Bhutanese Refugee Women Through Shared Learning

Mitschke, Diane B.; Aguirre, Regina T. P.; Sharma, Bonita B.

doi:10.1080/15332985.2013.769926

Cited by 40 publications

(48 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…The survey was lengthy and strenuous for the participants to complete due to language-difficulties and reading deficiencies thus there was a need for brief instruments. Although the instruments are not developed specifically for refugees, they have all been used with refugee populations previously and no psychometric difficulties have been reported [17,26,29]. The rigorous translation process and use of monolingual focus groups also serves to strengthen the validity of the instruments.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Mental health and quality of life among asylum seekers and refugees living in refugee housing facilities in Sweden

Leiler

Bjärtå

Ekdahl

et al. 2018

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

111

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Introduction In 2015, there was a high influx of refugees to Sweden, creating an extreme situation where individuals were forced to remain in large housing facilities for long periods. The present study aims to describe the mental health and quality of life of these individuals. Methods Data, based on 510 individuals, were obtained by means of a questionnaire at open screenings conducted at or nearby refugee housing facilities. Of the participating refugees, 367 were asylum seekers and 143 had received a residence permit but were still awaiting a more permanent housing solution. The questionnaire included measures of depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), symptoms of anxiety (GAD-7), risk of having post-traumatic stress disorder (PC-PTSD), and quality of life (WHOQOL-BREF). Results Of the total sample, 56-58.4% reported clinically significant levels of symptoms of depression, anxiety and risk of having PTSD. Prevalence estimates were higher among asylum seekers than among those who had received their residence permit. Quality of life was generally rated below population norms and correlated negatively with mental health outcomes. Conclusions Individuals residing in refugee housing facilities show high levels of psychological distress and rate their quality of life as low. Asylum seekers score higher than those having received a residence permit. These results are troublesome since the wait time for asylum decisions has lengthened considerably after 2015. The results of the present study calls for the urgency of societal actions to shorten the asylum process and improve conditions at the housing facilities.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For that purpose, a cut-off of ≥ 8 is used [25]. The instrument has good psychometric properties and has been used both in refugee populations [26] and in the Swedish general population [10]. Cronbach's α in the present sample was 0.91.…”

Section: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Mental health and quality of life among asylum seekers and refugees living in refugee housing facilities in Sweden

Leiler

Bjärtå

Ekdahl

et al. 2018

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Fazel et al, 2005;Mitschke, Aguirre and Sharma, 2013;Steel et al, 2009). Carswell et al (2011) concluded that post-migration stress is related to poorer mental health upon arrival in the host country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Listening to refugees: How traditional mental health interventions may miss the mark

Mitschke

Praetorius

Kelly

et al. 2016

International Social Work

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Understanding the dynamics of mental health of recently resettled refugees is an essential component of any comprehensive resettlement program, yet establishing the components of a successful and acceptable mental health intervention is an elusive task. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resettled refugees from five countries who had received treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or anxiety. Themes generated from the interviews emphasized the need for strong group-based social support as well as a focus on practical needs such as acquiring and maintaining employment, language and literacy training, and access to care.

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“…According to the Centers for Disease Control’s Refugee Health Profiles, 60 % of the Bhutanese refugees who have resettled in the United States are between the ages of 15–44, 15 % are 45–64, 5 % are over 65, and the rest are under 15 years old with a fairly equal gender distribution [2]. Health research with Bhutanese refugee communities has primarily focused on mental health, particularly depression and post-traumatic stress disorder [3, 10, 14]. Very little is documented regarding cervical cancer or its prevention among Bhutanese refugee communities in the United States although these refugees come from high cervical cancer risk incidence and mortality regions [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Cervical Cancer Screening Among the Bhutanese Refugee Community in Omaha, Nebraska

et al. 2014

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Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer mortality among women with the vast majority of patients in developing countries. Bhutanese refugees in the United States are from South Central Asia, the 4th leading region of the world for cervical cancer incidence. Over the past few years, Bhutanese refugees have increased significantly in Nebraska. This study evaluates current knowledge of cervical cancer and screening practices among the Bhutanese refugee women in Omaha, Nebraska. The study aimed to investigate cervical cancer and screening knowledge and perceptions about the susceptibility and severity of cervical cancer and perceived benefits and barriers to screening. Self-administered questionnaires and focus groups based on the Health Belief Model were conducted among 42 healthy women from the Bhutanese refugee community in Omaha. The study revealed a significant lack of knowledge in this community regarding cervical cancer and screening practices, with only 22.2 % reporting ever hearing of a Pap test and 13.9 % reporting ever having one. Only 33.3 % of women were in agreement with their own perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer. Women who reported ever hearing about the Pap test tended to believe more strongly about curability of the disease if discovered early than women who never heard about the test (71.4 vs. 45.0 %, for the two groups. respectively). Refugee populations in the United States are in need for tailored cancer education programs especially when being resettled from countries with high risk for cancer.

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Common Threads: Improving the Mental Health of Bhutanese Refugee Women Through Shared Learning

Cited by 40 publications

References 12 publications

Mental health and quality of life among asylum seekers and refugees living in refugee housing facilities in Sweden

Mental health and quality of life among asylum seekers and refugees living in refugee housing facilities in Sweden

Listening to refugees: How traditional mental health interventions may miss the mark

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices for Cervical Cancer Screening Among the Bhutanese Refugee Community in Omaha, Nebraska

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