Strengthening mental health care systems for Syrian refugees in Europe and the Middle East: integrating scalable psychological interventions in eight countries

• Published in: European journal of psychotraumatology Vol. 8; no. sup2; pp. 1388102 - 11
• Main Authors: Sijbrandij, Marit, Acarturk, Ceren, Bird, Martha, Bryant, Richard A, Burchert, Sebastian, Carswell, Kenneth, de Jong, Joop, Dinesen, Cecilie, Dawson, Katie S., El Chammay, Rabih, van Ittersum, Linde, Jordans, Mark, Knaevelsrud, Christine, McDaid, David, Miller, Kenneth, Morina, Naser, Park, A-La, Roberts, Bayard, van Son, Yvette, Sondorp, Egbert, Pfaltz, Monique C., Ruttenberg, Leontien, Schick, Matthis, Schnyder, Ulrich, van Ommeren, Mark, Ventevogel, Peter, Weissbecker, Inka, Weitz, Erica, Wiedemann, Nana, Whitney, Claire, Cuijpers, Pim
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.01.2017; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Anxiety; cambio de tareas; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); common mental disorders; Community support; e-mental health interventions; Families & family life; implementación; implementation; intervenciones electrónicas de salud mental; intervenciones psicológicas; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental health care; problem solving treatment (PST); psychological interventions; Refugees; Refugiados; Review; Siria; Stress; Syria; Syrian refugees are at risk of developing common mental disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Evidence-based interventions for refugees are available, but refugees have limited access to mental health services for these problems because of limited availability of mental health professionals in Europe and the Middle East. STRENGTHS will translate and adapt a scalable set of World Health Organization interventions including the evidence-based PM+ for use with Syrian refugees with elevated levels of distress and reduced functioning. The programmes will be delivered in individual, group or smartphone formats and will be supported by either peer-refugees or local non-professional helpers who will receive training and supervision; Systematic review; task-shifting; terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC); trastornos mentales comunes; tratamiento de resolución de problemas (PST); 任务切换; 叙利亚; 常见心理障碍; 心理干预; 执行; 网络心理健康干预; 认知行为疗法（CBT）; 问题解决疗法（PST）; 难民; Lebanon; Turkey; Europe; Syria; cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT); problem solving treatment (PST); common mental disorders; implementation; Syrian refugees are at risk of developing common mental disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. • Evidence-based interventions for refugees are available, but refugees have limited access to mental health services for these problems because of limited availability of mental health professionals in Europe and the Middle East. • STRENGTHS will translate and adapt a scalable set of World Health Organization interventions including the evidence-based PM+ for use with Syrian refugees with elevated levels of distress and reduced functioning.• The programmes will be delivered in individual, group or smartphone formats and will be supported by either peer-refugees or local non-professional helpers who will receive training and supervision; Refugees; e-mental health interventions; task-shifting; Syria; psychological interventions
• ISSN: 2000-8066; 2000-8198; 2000-8066
• DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2017.1388102

The crisis in Syria has resulted in vast numbers of refugees seeking asylum in Syria's neighbouring countries as well as in Europe. Refugees are at considerable risk of developing common mental disorders, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Most refugees do not have access to mental health services for these problems because of multiple barriers in national and refugee specific health systems, including limited availability of mental health professionals. To counter some of challenges arising from limited mental health system capacity the World Health Organization (WHO) has developed a range of scalable psychological interventions aimed at reducing psychological distress and improving functioning in people living in communities affected by adversity. These interventions, including Problem Management Plus (PM+) and its variants, are intended to be delivered through individual or group face-to-face or smartphone formats by lay, non-professional people who have not received specialized mental health training, We provide an evidence-based rationale for the use of the scalable PM+ oriented programmes being adapted for Syrian refugees and provide information on the newly launched STRENGTHS programme for adapting, testing and scaling up of PM+ in various modalities in both neighbouring and European countries hosting Syrian refugees.