Incorporating Preliminary Mental Health Assessment in the Initial Healthcare for Refugees in New Jersey

AlObaidi, AbdulKareem; West, Bernadette; Fox, Anne; Savin, Daniel

doi:10.1007/s10597-015-9862-8

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…People using the RHS should be trained in culturally sensitive ways of introducing a mental health screening, offering psychoeducation to those with a positive screening result and, if desired, referring the refugees to mental health institutions. When using the RHS or any other screening, it is essential to provide a confidential setting, to use general health vocabulary, and to avoid potentially stigmatizing meanings of terms connected with mental illnesses (Al-Obaidi et al, 2015; Hollifield et al, 2013). …”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Efficient identification of mental health problems in refugees in Germany: the Refugee Health Screener

Kaltenbach

Härdtner

Hermenau

et al. 2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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Background: A substantial number of refugees present with mental disorders. This appears particularly acute in the currently increasing refugee populations in Europe. Although EU guidelines demand the identification and support of vulnerable individuals such as survivors of trauma, no adequately validated and comprehensive mental health screening instruments for refugees residing in Europe currently exist. Objective: We studied the feasibility, validity, and reliability of the Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) – a time-efficient and easy-to-implement screening developed by Hollifield et al. (2013) – as a self-rating and interview instrument. Methods: A sample of refugees from different countries (N = 86), representative of those who had arrived around the turn of the year 2015/2016 in Germany, filled in the RHS-15 on their own. A semi-structured clinical interview was later conducted with a random subsample (n = 56). Results: Fifty-two percent of the refugees examined screened positive in the RHS-15, thus indicating current mental health problems. The RHS-15 showed a good feasibility, reliability, and validity in both the self-rating and the interview version. It detected clinically relevant mental health problems when PTSD, depression, anxiety, or somatization problems were present. A shorter 13-item version proved to be equally valid. Conclusions: Together with previous research on the RHS in refugees living in the US, this suggests that the RHS is a time-efficient and accurate instrument that is able to detect common mental health problems in a wide range of refugees. Prospectively, the RHS could be used as an instrument for identifying vulnerable refugees, for example, by integrating it in the initial medical examination in the host community, thereby initiating support.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Potential barriers in screening and acceptance of referral to mental health services include problems in communication, confidentiality, literacy, stigma, limited care capacities, and difficulties in contacting the refugees (e.g. Al-Obaidi, West, Fox, & Savin, 2015). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Efficient identification of mental health problems in refugees in Germany: the Refugee Health Screener

Kaltenbach

Härdtner

Hermenau

et al. 2017

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

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“…The multiple partners of the Australian Changing Cultures Project experienced time-consuming difficulties identifying the outcomes of a refugee education program [40]. Successful collaborations can involve State leadership in initiatives [41,42]. A Colorado initiative that developed a single point of access including interpreting services, comprehensive health assessments, education, data collection, and evaluation [43].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing refugee health through evidence-based policies: a case study

Bocanegra

Carter‐Pokras

Ingleby

et al. 2018

Annals of Epidemiology

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The cumulative total of persons forced to leave their country for fear of persecution or organized violence reached an unprecedented 24.5 million by the end of 2015. Providing equitable access to appropriate health services for these highly diverse newcomers poses challenges for receiving countries. In this case study, we illustrate the importance of translating epidemiology into policy to address the health needs of refugees by highlighting examples of what works as well as identifying important policy-relevant gaps in knowledge. First, we formed an international working group of epidemiologists and health services researchers to identify available literature on the intersection of epidemiology, policy, and refugee health. Second, we created a synopsis of findings to inform a recommendation for integration of policy and epidemiology to support refugee health in the US and other high-income receiving countries. Third, we identified eight key areas to guide the involvement of epidemiologists in addressing refugee health concerns. The complexity and uniqueness of refugee health issues, and the need to develop sustainable management information systems, require epidemiologists to expand their repertoire of skills to identify health patterns among arriving refugees, monitor access to appropriately designed health services, address inequities, and communicate with policy makers and multidisciplinary teams.

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“…Furthermore, the applicability and appropriateness of western concepts of mental illnesses for use in non-western populations is not straightforward, and this may also be related to the difficulties of making a diagnosis. Finally, which measures should be employed to properly assess culturally and linguistically diverse populations is still under debate (Al-Obaidi et al 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Finally, which measures should be employed to properly assess culturally and linguistically diverse populations is still under debate (Al-Obaidi et al . 2015).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Access to mental health services and psychotropic drug use in refugees and asylum seekers hosted in high-income countries

Nosè

Turrini

Barbui

2015

Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci

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This Section of Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences appears in each issue of the Journal to stress the role of the epidemiological approach to promote advances in the field of clinical psychopharmacology, with a particular attention to controversial findings. The ultimate aims are to help develop a more critical attitude towards the results of research studies published in the international literature, to promote original research projects with higher methodological standards, and to implement the most relevant results of research in every-day clinical practice. These contributions are written in house by the journal's editorial team or commissioned by the Section Editor (no more than 1000 words, short unstructured abstract, 4 key-words, one Table or In the populations of refugees and asylum seekers hosted in high-income countries, access to mental health care and psychotropic drugs, is a major challenge. A recent Swedish cross-sectional register study has explored this phenomenon in a national cohort of 43 403 young refugees and their families from Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia and Afghanistan. This register study found lower rates of dispensed psychotropic drugs among recently settled refugees, as compared with Swedish-born residents, with an increase in the use with duration of residence. In this commentary, the results of this survey are discussed in view of their global policy implications for high-income countries hosting populations of refugees and asylum seekers.

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Incorporating Preliminary Mental Health Assessment in the Initial Healthcare for Refugees in New Jersey

Cited by 11 publications

References 22 publications

Efficient identification of mental health problems in refugees in Germany: the Refugee Health Screener

Efficient identification of mental health problems in refugees in Germany: the Refugee Health Screener

Addressing refugee health through evidence-based policies: a case study

Access to mental health services and psychotropic drug use in refugees and asylum seekers hosted in high-income countries

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