Human Mobility and Health: Exploring the Health Conditions of Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees in Colombia

Improving Retention in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Interventions: An Analysis of Completion Rates across a Multi-Site Trial with Refugee, Migrant, and Host Communities in Latin America

“…Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, 22% of individuals impacted by displacement reported depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia-more than triple the rate in the general global population (7%) [8,9]. Similar findings have also been reported among refugee and migrant Venezuelans [10,11]. Consequently, there is an urgent need to adapt and evaluate evidencebased mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions to serve populations affected by humanitarian crises [12,13].…”

Strategies to improve the implementation and effectiveness of community-based psychosocial support interventions for displaced, migrant and host community women in Latin America

“…There is growing evidence supporting the effectiveness of community-based mental health and psychosocial interventions for alleviating symptoms of common mental disorders and psychological distress among displaced populations (Bangpan et al, 2019; Turrini et al, 2019; Barbui et al, 2020; Haroz et al, 2020), including for displaced and emergency-affected populations in Latin America (Bonilla-Escobar et al, 2018; 2023). However, access to and utilization of mental health and psychosocial support services to prevent and treat mental health problems remains limited (Cubides et al, 2022). Barriers include lack of information about how and where to seek services, inability to access care due to legal or migratory status, lack of mental health and psychosocial support providers, disparities in insurance coverage and insufficient resources or capacity to address the needs of displaced persons (e.g., refugees, asylum seekers) and migrants within host country health systems (Kohrt et al, 2020; Agudelo-Suarez et al, 2022; Blukacz et al, 2022; Bowser et al, 2022; Cubides et al, 2022).…”

“…However, access to and utilization of mental health and psychosocial support services to prevent and treat mental health problems remains limited (Cubides et al, 2022 ). Barriers include lack of information about how and where to seek services, inability to access care due to legal or migratory status, lack of mental health and psychosocial support providers, disparities in insurance coverage and insufficient resources or capacity to address the needs of displaced persons (e.g., refugees, asylum seekers) and migrants within host country health systems (Kohrt et al, 2020 ; Agudelo-Suarez et al, 2022 ; Blukacz et al, 2022 ; Bowser et al, 2022 ; Cubides et al, 2022 ). Even in host countries that have instituted pathways for migrants and displaced populations to access services provided within national health systems, disparities in health insurance coverage and utilization of health services persist (Bowser et al, 2022 ; Shepard et al, 2023 ).…”

Accessibility and Perceived Impact of a Group Psychosocial Intervention for Women in Ecuador: A Comparative Analysis by Migration Status

“…A growing body of evidence has substantiated the effectiveness of community-based MHPSS programs for reducing symptoms of trauma and common mental disorders among migrants [12][13][14][15], including for conflict-affected populations and forcibly displaced persons in Latin America [16,17]. However, existing barriers hinder utilization of MHPSS services among migrant populations: limited information about how to access services, social vulnerability linked to legal or migratory status, and scarce infrastructure within host country mental health systems to address the needs of displaced persons [18][19][20][21].…”