Effectively addressing psychological needs of refugees is a challenge for service providers operating within an expensive health care system based on Western constructs of mental health. In response to this challenge, refugee resettlement agencies throughout the United States use community gardens to promote psychological healing, self-sufficiency, community engagement, and a return of human dignity. Although the success of these programs has been reported in the popular press, they have not been studied systematically. The present exploratory mixed methods study drew upon quantitative and qualitative data to explore perspectives on participating in a community garden among Nepali Bhutanese refugees ( N = 50; 62% female). Participants self-selected to engage in gardening prior to research ( n = 22), or were part of the nongardening comparison group ( n = 28). Results revealed no significant group differences in regard to symptoms of depression, anxiety, somatic complaints, or adjustment to life in the United States. Quantitative results indicated that community gardening was significantly positively associated with social support, a key contributor to optimal functioning within communal cultures. Qualitative data provided additional context within which to understand these results, and further supported the role of social support in community gardening. Implications for clinical research, advocacy, and community care are discussed and suggestions for further research are provided.

Presented herein is a comparative study of group treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In this study, an emerging intervention, memory specificity training (MeST), was compared with cognitive processing therapy (CPT) using standardized outcome measures of target symptoms (i.e., anxiety and depression from client perspective; memory specificity from independent rater perspective) and global functioning (independent rater perspective), as well as a process measure of expectancy (client perspective). Clients were assessed on 3 separate occasions: at baseline, posttreatment, and 3 months posttreatment. Adherence and treatment fidelity (independent rater perspective) were monitored throughout the course of both treatment conditions. Improvement in PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and global functioning were similar between MeST and CPT; an increase in ability to specify memories upon retrieval was also similar between MeST and CPT. Positive reliable change was observed in both groups on all outcome measures. With respect to the primary target of PTSD symptoms, 88% of participants in both treatment groups moved into the functional distribution by posttreatment and maintained these gains at follow-up. Notably, compared with CPT, MeST required only half the dosage (i.e., number of sessions) to accomplish these gains. Illustrative vignettes from client-therapist exchanges are provided, and results are discussed in terms of the potential mechanisms of action. Implications for both clinical practice and clinical research are also included. (PsycINFO Database Record

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Prognostic study, level III.

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