Perceptions of mental health and perceived barriers to mental health help-seeking amongst refugees: A systematic review

Byrow, Yulisha; Pajak, Rosanna; Specker, Philippa; Nickerson, Angela

doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2019.101812

Cited by 217 publications

(206 citation statements)

References 109 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

185

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…However, only around 5% of the refugees who suffer from mental disorders receive mental health care in Germany (see Bundesweite Arbeitsgemeinschaft der psychosozialen Zentren für Flüchtlinge und Folteropfer [BAfF] [German Network of Rehabilitation Centres for Refugees and Survivors of Torture], 2016). Therefore, a thorough understanding is needed concerning practical constraints for health care access, cultural explanation models for and specifics of mental health symptoms (Hassan, Ventevogel, Jefee‐Bahloul, Barkil‐Oteo, & Kirmayer, 2016; Lewis‐Fernández & Kirmayer, 2019; Schlechter et al, 2020), predictors of mental health problems (Li, Liddell, & Nickerson, 2016; Steel et al, 2009) and potential barriers towards mental health services (e.g., Schlechter et al, in press; for reviews see Byrow, Pajak, Specker, & Nickerson, 2019; Satinsky, Fuhr, Woodward, Sondorp, & Roberts, 2019). Yet, for the mental health services to be effective, we also need to examine the attitudes of mental health service providers towards refugees.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which psychological characteristics influence therapists' readiness to work with refugees?

Schlechter

Hellmann

Wingbermühle

et al. 2020

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Refugee populations show considerably high rates of mental health problems. Yet many mental health professionals may have reservations to work with refugees due to suspected cultural differences, language barriers and the need to provide additional services. However, little is known about psychotherapists' readiness to work with refugees. In a sample of German psychotherapists (N = 111), we explored therapeutic style (neutrality, supportiveness and self‐doubt), therapists' basic assumptions (pessimism, rationality and therapy as art), experiences, private and work‐related contact with refugees, political interests, openness and practical barriers as potential predictors of readiness to work with refugees. Therapeutic styles of self‐doubt and neutrality, rationality as basic assumption, former experiences with refugees in a therapeutic setting, feeling comfortable working with an interpreter in therapy and perceived language barriers emerged as most important predictors of psychotherapists' readiness to work with refugees. Future directions and potential interventions to promote therapists' readiness to work with refugees are discussed.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Which psychological characteristics influence therapists' readiness to work with refugees?

Schlechter

Hellmann

Wingbermühle

et al. 2020

Clin Psychology and Psychoth

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…European health care systems need to take into account the changing demographics of populations and family configurations, and provide appropriate mental health care for the growing number of forced migrants and migrants with a precarious residency status (3,14,86). Moreover, mental health care providers require skills in trauma-informed and transcultural care in order to meet the complex needs of populations from diverse cultural and demographic backgrounds.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relational Spirituality and Transgenerational Obligations: The Role of Family in Lay Explanatory Models of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Male Cameroonian Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Europe

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context: Diasporic Cameroonians are increasingly leading a transnational life in which family members are sustained through networks of relations and obligations. However, before arriving in Europe, the vast majority of African migrants who take the Mediterranean route are exposed to trauma and hardship. Moreover, the joint occurrence of forced displacement, trauma, and extended separation from families has a significant impact on mental health.Objectives: This study explores the role of culture-specific conceptualizations of family structures and transnationalism in explanatory models of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among male Cameroonian asylum-seekers and undocumented migrants in Europe.Methods: An in-depth study of two samples of Cameroonian migrants with a precarious residency status in Europe was conducted. Focus group discussions and interviews were carried out with asylum seekers in Germany (n = 8) and undocumented migrants and failed asylum seekers in France (n = 9). The verbatim transcripts of these interviews served as the data for interpretative phenomenological analyses.Results, Analysis, and Discussion: Family was conceptualized in religious and spiritual terms, and relational spirituality appeared to be a crucial element of family cohesion. Explanatory models of PTSD were mainly based on an intersection of family and spirituality. The disrespect of transgenerational, traditional, and spiritual obligations toward parents and ancestral spirits represented a crucial causal attribution for post-traumatic symptoms.Conclusions: Conceptualizations of post-traumatic stress were based on a collective family and spiritual level instead of an individualized illness-centered perception. The Western psychological and psychiatric perspective on post-traumatic stress might conflict with traditional, religious, and spiritual practices in the context of family conceptualizations of Cameroonian forced migrants with a precarious residency status.

show abstract

“…Some of these factors are also known as barriers to medical help seeking (27)(28)(29). However, previous studies mainly focused on the investigation of potential barriers for specific groups, such as African Americans, refugees, sexual and gender minority members, mental illness sufferers, and other disadvantaged groups (30)(31)(32)(33)(34). A universal tool to assess all cognitive barriers for ordinary people still remains to be developed.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and validation of a risk perception scale of medical help-seeking behavior in Chinese adults

Lyu¹,

Liu²,

Yu³

et al. 2020

Ann Transl Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: When people require medical treatment, many risk factors including adverse medical events, economic burdens, and social-psychological consequences may contribute to their hesitation to seek medical help. Therefore, a reliable and valid instrument that can comprehensively assess the risk perception of medical help-seeking behavior among ordinary Chinese adults should be developed. Methods:The basic dimensions of the scale were determined based on literature review and in-depth interviews with patients. Then, an item pool with 32 items and six dimensions was developed. After the item reduction process based on item and factor analyses, a three-factor, 16-item scale was established. From March 2019, this scale was distributed among 639 healthy adults, outpatients, or inpatients in 20 provinces and municipalities in the mainland of China by convenience sampling. Then, the reliability and validity of the scale were examined. Results:The scale consists of three dimensions (treatment risks, burden risks, and stigma risks) and 16 items. The root-mean-square error of approximation, comparative fit index, and Tucker-Lewis index of this model were 0.069, 0.925, and 0.910, respectively. The internal consistency reliability of the scale was 0.893, and the test-retest reliability was 0.784. The criterion-related validity was 0.720 (P<0.01). Conclusions:The risk perception scale of medical help-seeking behavior is a reliable and valid instrument to measure Chinese adults' perception for potential risks in the process of medical treatment.

show abstract

Perceptions of mental health and perceived barriers to mental health help-seeking amongst refugees: A systematic review

Cited by 217 publications

References 109 publications

Which psychological characteristics influence therapists' readiness to work with refugees?

Which psychological characteristics influence therapists' readiness to work with refugees?

Relational Spirituality and Transgenerational Obligations: The Role of Family in Lay Explanatory Models of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder in Male Cameroonian Asylum Seekers and Undocumented Migrants in Europe

Development and validation of a risk perception scale of medical help-seeking behavior in Chinese adults

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About