Effectiveness of group problem management plus in distressed Syrian refugees in Türkiye: a randomized controlled trial.

Aims: Despite high levels of psychological distress, mental health service use among Syrian refugees in urban settings is low. To address the mental healthcare gap, the World Health Organization developed group problem management plus (gPM+), a scalable psychological intervention delivered by non-specialist peer facilitators. The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of gPM+ in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety among Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Health system responsiveness to the mental health needs of Syrian refugees: mixed-methods rapid appraisals in eight host countries in Europe and the Middle East.

Background: Syrian refugees have a high burden of mental health symptoms and face challenges in accessing mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). This study assesses health system responsiveness (HSR) to the MHPSS needs of Syrian refugees, comparing countries in Europe and the Middle East to inform recommendations for strengthening MHPSS systems.

Methods: A mixed-methods rapid appraisal methodology guided by an adapted WHO Health System Framework was used to assess HSR in eight countries (Egypt, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, and Türkiye).

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on access to healthcare among people with disabilities: evidence from six low- and middle-income countries.

Background: The pandemic has placed considerable strain on health systems, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), leading to reductions in the availability of routine health services. Emerging evidence suggests that people with disabilities have encountered marked challenges in accessing healthcare services and supports in the context of the pandemic. Further research is needed to explore specific barriers to accessing healthcare during the pandemic, and any strategies that promoted continued access to health services in LMICs where the vast majority of people with disabilities live.

Socio-cultural integration of Afghan refugees in Türkiye: the role of traumatic events, post-displacement stressors and mental health.

Aims: Socio-cultural integration of refugees has received scant attention in the academic literature. Türkiye hosts the largest number of refugees, including Afghans, as the second largest asylum-seeking group in Türkiye. There is a dearth of research into the mental health and integration of Afghan refugees in Türkiye.

Trajectories of psychosocial symptoms and wellbeing in asylum seekers and refugees exposed to traumatic events and resettled in Western Europe, Turkey, and Uganda.

Longitudinal studies examining mental health trajectories in refugees and asylum seekers are scarce. To investigate trajectories of psychological symptoms and wellbeing in refugees and asylum seekers, and identify factors associated with these trajectories. 912 asylum seekers and refugees from the control arm of three trials in Europe ( = 229), Turkey ( = 320), and Uganda ( = 363) were included.