Help-Seeking Undocumented Migrants in the Netherlands: Mental Health, Adverse Life Events, and Living Conditions.

Undocumented migrants are a particularly vulnerable group regarding (mental) health, living conditions, and restricted access to health care. The aim and objective of the study was to examine the prevalence and correlates of mental health problems in a help-seeking population of undocumented migrants. Observational study was performed by integrating cross-sectional questionnaire data with retrospective electronic patient record data.

Mental health consequences of long-term stays in refugee camps: preliminary evidence from Moria.

Background: Ever since the implementation of the EU-Turkey deal, most refugees that enter Greece via sea are confined to the island on which they arrive until their asylum claims are adjudicated, where they generally reside in camps. Some of these camps have detention-like characteristics and dire living conditions, such as Moria camp on the island of Lesbos, Greece. Aid-organizations have stated that the situation in camp Moria deteriorates the mental health of its inhabitants and there is qualitative evidence to support this.

Cortisol awakening response over the course of humanitarian aid deployment: a prospective cohort study.

: Internationally deployed humanitarian aid (HA) workers are routinely confronted with potentially traumatic stressors. However, it remains unknown whether HA deployment and related traumatic stress are associated with long-term changes in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Therefore, we investigated whether cortisol awakening response (CAR) decreased upon deployment and whether this was moderated by previous and recent trauma exposure and parallel changes in symptom severity and perceived social support.

Can Circumstances Be Softened? Self-Efficacy, Post-Migratory Stressors, and Mental Health among Refugees.

Post-migratory stressors (PS) are a risk factor for mental health problems among resettled refugees. There is a need to identify factors which can reduce this burden. Self-efficacy (SE) is associated with refugees' mental health.

Correction to: Feasibility and predictors of change of narrative exposure therapy for displaced populations: a repeated measures design.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s40814-020-00613-1.].

Feasibility and predictors of change of narrative exposure therapy for displaced populations: a repeated measures design.

Background: Displaced victims of interpersonal violence, such as refugees, asylum seekers, and victims of sexual exploitation, are growing in numbers and are often suffering from a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). At the same time, these victims are known to benefit less from trauma-focused therapy (TFT) and to be less compliant to treatment. The objective of this paper is to describe the rationale and research protocol of an ongoing trial that aims to evaluate different variables that might influence the feasibility of TFT for the study population.

Undocumented asylum seekers with posttraumatic stress disorder in the Netherlands.

: To date, most studies on the mental health of refugees in Europe have focused on the prevalence and treatment of psychopathology. Little is known about those who illegally reside in the host country, referred to, in the Netherlands, as undocumented asylum seekers. There are indications that mental health and psychosocial problems are more prevalent in this group than among refugees in general, with unsatisfactory treatment outcomes.

Factors associated with common mental health problems of humanitarian workers in South Sudan.

Background: The latest data on major attacks against civilian aid operations have identified South Sudan as the most dangerous country for aid workers globally. Exposure to other traumatic events and chronic stress is also common in this population. No research exists on the mental health of humanitarian workers in South Sudan.

Internet-based behavioural activation with lay counsellor support versus online minimal psychoeducation without support for treatment of depression: a randomised controlled trial in Indonesia.

Background: Depression is one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease. However, treatment availability is often very poor in low-income and middle-income countries. In a randomised clinical trial, we investigated the efficacy of internet-based behavioural activation with lay counsellor support compared with online minimal psychoeducation without support for depression in Indonesia (a middle-income country).

Guided Act and Feel Indonesia (GAF-ID) - Internet-based behavioral activation intervention for depression in Indonesia: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Depression is a leading cause of disease burden across the world. However, in low-middle income countries (LMICs), access to mental health services is severely limited because of the insufficient number of mental health professionals available. The WHO initiated the Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP) aiming to provide a coherent strategy for closing the gap between what is urgently needed and what is available in LMICs.

Trauma-related mental health problems among national humanitarian staff: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Working in humanitarian crisis situations is dangerous. National humanitarian staff in particular face the risk of primary and secondary trauma exposure which can lead to mental health problems. Despite this, research on the mental health of national staff is scarce, and a systematic analysis of up-to-date findings has not been undertaken yet.

In search of links between social capital, mental health and sociotherapy: a longitudinal study in Rwanda.

Unlabelled: To date, reviews show inconclusive results on the association between social capital and mental health. Evidence that social capital can intentionally be promoted is also scarce. Promotion of social capital may impact post-conflict recovery through both increased social cohesion and better mental health.

Factors Affecting Mental Health of Local Staff Working in the Vanni Region, Sri Lanka.

In the aftermath of the civil war that extended from 1983-2009, humanitarian organizations provided aid to the conflict-affected population of the Vanni region in northern Sri Lanka. In August, 2010, a needs assessment was conducted to determine the mental-health status of Sri Lankan national humanitarian aid staff working in conditions of stress and hardship, and consider contextual and organizational characteristics influencing such status. A total of 398 staff members from nine organizations working in the Vanni area participated in the survey, which assessed stress, work characteristics, social support, coping styles, and symptoms of psychological distress.

The validation of a social functioning questionnaire in an African postconflict context.

This study evaluated the reliability and criterion validity of the Byumba Social Functioning Questionnaire (BSFQ), an instrument to measure social functioning in Rwanda. The instrument was locally composed in concordance with a well-described method for culture-specific and sex-specific function assessment. Respondents in a Northern Province of Rwanda (N = 393) were assessed with the BSFQ and a 19-item scale (SF-19) drawn from the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form (SF-36).

Intimate partner violence in Rwanda: the mental health of victims and perpetrators.

Exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common feature of women living in low- and middle-income countries. Several studies have shown a significant association between IPV against women and mental health in both developed and in low- and middle-income countries. In postconflict settings, the relationship between IPV and mental health is likely more complex, given the high levels of violence experienced by the population as a whole.

Psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and burnout among international humanitarian aid workers: a longitudinal study.

Background: International humanitarian aid workers providing care in emergencies are subjected to numerous chronic and traumatic stressors.

Objectives: To examine consequences of such experiences on aid workers' mental health and how the impact is influenced by moderating variables.

Methodology: We conducted a longitudinal study in a sample of international non-governmental organizations.

The effect on mental health of a large scale psychosocial intervention for survivors of mass violence: a quasi-experimental study in Rwanda.

Background: War has serious and prolonged mental health consequences. It is argued that post-emergency mental health interventions should not only focus on psychological factors but also address the social environment. No controlled trials of such interventions exist.

Psychometric properties and longitudinal validation of the self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ-20) in a Rwandan community setting: a validation study.

Background: This study took place to enable the measurement of the effects on mental health of a psychosocial intervention in Rwanda. It aimed to establish the capacities of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) to screen for mental disorder and to assess symptom change over time in a Rwandan community setting.

Methods: The SRQ-20 was translated into Kinyarwanda in a process of forward and back-translation.

Properties of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20) as screening instruments used in primary care in Afghanistan.

Background: Recent epidemiological studies in Afghanistan using mental health questionnaires yielded high prevalence rates for anxiety and depression.

Objectives: To explore the validity in the Afghan cultural context of two mental health questionnaires, the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) and the Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20 (SRQ-20).

Methods: The two mental health questionnaires were compared against a 'gold standard' semi-structured psychiatric interview, the Psychiatric Assessment Schedule (PAS).

Mental health symptoms following war and repression in eastern Afghanistan.

Context: Decades of armed conflict, suppression, and displacement resulted in a high prevalence of mental health symptoms throughout Afghanistan. Its Eastern province of Nangarhar is part of the region that originated the Taliban movement. This may have had a distinct impact on the living circumstances and mental health condition of the province's population.