Refugee Health

This study is a randomized controlled trial among 144 internally displaced people to determine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a single-session Acceptance of Commitment Therapy (ACT) group therapy on preventing or reducing substance use behaviors.

Women seeking asylum (WSA) are overexposed to sexual violence (SV) in their countries of origin, along migration routes, and within host countries. This overexposure does not cease upon arrival in host countries; on the contrary, the first months following arrival are characterised by heightened vulnerability, with an increased incidence of sexual violence, particularly among women with a prior history of victimisation. Sexual violence has major consequences on physical health, mental health, quality of life, and healthcare utilisation, and generates substantial individual and societal costs. International organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, have identified the prevention of sexual violence and the improvement of care for survivors as public health priorities. Previous work suggests that addressing sexual violence within primary care, when embedded in a comprehensive, culturally informed, and coordinated approach integrating medical, psychological, social, and medico-legal dimensions, may contribute to preventing the occurrence or recurrence of sexual violence in host countries. However, no comparative study has yet evaluated the effectiveness of such a coordinated model of care on the prevention of sexual violence among women seeking asylum, nor assessed its efficiency or transferability. The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a coordinated, transcultural, multidisciplinary outpatient care model on the prevention of sexual violence occurring in host European countries among women seeking asylum.

The goal of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of the culturally adapted skills-training START NOW in youth migrant populations. The main question it aims to answer is: Is the culturally adapted skills training START NOW more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing mental health problems in migrants? Participants will be randomly assigned to the intervention group receiving the skills training START NOW Adapted or the control group receiving TAU. Researchers will compare both groups to see if START NOW Adapted is more effective than TAU in reducing mental health problems in migrants.

This study will conduct a two-arm, single-blind, randomized controlled trial among Syrian refugee women living in Turkey who experience psychological distress. In the study, participants will be randomly assigned to either the SH+ intervention (n = 105) combined with a session on Post-Migration Living Difficulties (PMLD) or Treatment as Usual (TAU) (n = 105). SH+ is a five-session guided self-help intervention focusing on stress management based on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). In addition, a session discussing post-migration difficulties and possible problem-management techniques will be integrated after the SH+ intervention. This study aims to fill an important gap in refugee health and well-being research by focusing on the integrated expansion and implementation of an intervention program to address the psychosocial challenges faced by refugee Syrian women. The results will assess the effectiveness of the intervention on psychological distress, focusing on its potential positive effects on psychological distress, stress management, and adaptation processes. Furthermore, the impact of the intervention on the use of association services and psychological flexibility will be examined.