Applying Human-Centered Design in Global Mental Health to Improve Reach Among Underserved Populations in the United States and India.

Introduction: Human-centered design (HCD) refers to a diverse suite of interactive processes that engage end users in the development of a desired outcome. We showcase how 2 global mental health research teams applied HCD to develop mobile health tools, each directed at reducing treatment gaps in underserved populations. CASE STUDY 1: Refugees face higher risks for mental health problems, yet these communities face structural and cultural barriers that reduce access to and use of services.

Investigating Outcomes of a Family Strengthening Intervention for Resettled Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Refugees: An Explanatory Sequential Mixed Methods Study.

Pre- and post-migration stressors can put resettled refugee children at risk of poor mental health outcomes. The Family Strengthening Intervention for Refugees (FSI-R) is a peer-delivered preventative home visiting program for resettled refugees that aims to draw upon families' strengths to foster improved family communication, positive parenting, and caregiver-child relationships, with the ultimate goal of reducing children's risk of mental health problems. Using an explanatory sequential mixed methods design, this study draws upon qualitative interviews with caregivers (n = 19) and children (n = 17) who participated in a pilot study of the FSI-R intervention in New England, as well as interventionists (n = 4), to unpack quantitative findings on mental health and family functioning from a randomized pilot study (n = 80 families).

Understanding mechanisms of change in a family-based preventive mental health intervention for refugees by refugees in New England.

Transnational migration of refugees is associated with poor mental health, particularly among children. We conducted a pilot trial of the Family Strengthening Intervention for Refugees (FSI-R), using a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach to deliver a home-based intervention "for refugees by refugees" to improve family functioning and child mental health.  = 80 refugee families in the Greater Boston area participated in the study ( = 40 Somali Bantu families;  = 40 Bhutanese families) with  = 41 families randomized to care-as-usual.

Using population-level incidence of hepatitis C virus and immigration status for data-driven screening policies: a case study in Israel.

Background: Most studies estimate hepatitis C virus (HCV) disease prevalence from convenience samples. Consequently, screening policies may not include those at the highest risk for a new diagnosis.

Methods: Clalit Health Services members aged 25-74 as of 31 December 2009 were included in the study.

Traditional Medicine and Help-Seeking Behaviors for Health Problems Among Somali Bantu Refugees Resettled in the United States.

Somali refugees have resettled in the United States in large numbers. The focus of this study was specifically on the Somali Bantu refugees, an ethnic minority group from Somalia. The goal of this study was to understand the following: (a) jinn (invisible beings or forces in Islamic theology) and related health problems resulting from jinn possession affecting Somali Bantu refugees, (b) types of traditional healing practices integrated into help-seeking behavior, and (c) pathways of care utilized to address health problems.

Implementing Community-Based Participatory Research with Communities Affected by Humanitarian Crises: The Potential to Recalibrate Equity and Power in Vulnerable Contexts.

Worldwide, over 70.8 million people are forcibly displaced from their homes as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violation. In humanitarian crises, protection and the provision of basic needs are often prioritized.

Family-Based Mental Health Promotion for Somali Bantu and Bhutanese Refugees: Feasibility and Acceptability Trial.

Purpose: There are disparities in mental health of refugee youth compared with the general U.S.

Population: We conducted a pilot feasibility and acceptability trial of the home-visiting Family Strengthening Intervention for refugees (FSI-R) using a community-based participatory research approach.