Culturally-Appropriate Orientation Increases the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training for Bhutanese Refugees: Results from a Multi-state Program Evaluation

Gurung, Ashok; Subedi, Parangkush; Zhang, Mengxi; Li, Changwei; Kelly, Timothy; Kim, Curi; Yun, Katherine

doi:10.1007/s10903-020-00986-8

Cited by 15 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…More importantly, policies, regulations, and education are needed to address pandemic-related stigma and discrimination. Finally, we recommend that larger national studies tracking experiences with discrimination and stress during the pandemic include Asian American subgroups with limited English proficiency [26,45,46].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discrimination and Stress Among Asian Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the USA

Zhang

Gurung

Anglewicz

et al. 2021

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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Objectives To measure COVID-19 pandemic-related discrimination and stress among Bhutanese and Burmese refugees in the USA and to identify characteristics associated with these two measures. Methods From 5/15–6/1/2020, Bhutanese and Burmese refugee community leaders were invited to complete an anonymous, online survey and shared the link with other community members who were English-proficient, ≥18 years old, and currently living in the USA. We identified characteristics associated with pandemic-related discrimination and stress applying ordinal logistic regression models. Results Among 218 refugees from 23 states, nearly one third of participants reported experiencing at least one type of discrimination, and more than two-thirds experienced at least one type of pandemic-related stress. Having had COVID-19, having a family member with COVID-19, and being an essential worker were associated with discrimination. Discrimination, financial crisis, and female gender were associated with stress. Conclusions Reducing pandemic-related discrimination should remain a priority, as should the promotion of social support and coping strategies. Noting that this is a nonrepresentative sample, we recommend that larger national studies tracking experiences with pandemic-related discrimination and stress include Asian American subgroups with limited English proficiency.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Discrimination and Stress Among Asian Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the USA

Zhang

Gurung

Anglewicz

et al. 2021

J. Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities

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“…Emerging research supports the value of tailoring mainstream mental health and suicide prevention training and guidelines to the populations of interest. One study explored the role of Mental Health First Aid among immigrant communities ( Gurung et al, 2020 ). While this training relates to recognizing and responding to mental health warning signs, rather than being a suicide-specific program, recent evidence indicates that incorporating culturally appropriate orientation into the training results in improved recognition and response to specific mental health diagnoses, and mental health literacy, among Bhutanese refugees.…”

Section: Suicide Prevention For Refugees and Asylum Seekersmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Education for People Working With Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Procter

Posselt²,

Ferguson

et al. 2022

Crisis

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Abstract. Background: There are concerning rates of suicidality among asylum seekers and refugees in Australia, and tailored suicide prevention initiatives are needed. Aims: We aimed to evaluate the impact of a tailored suicide prevention education program for people working with asylum seekers and refugees. Method: Attendees of the education program completed self-report questionnaires at pretraining, posttraining, and 4–6 months follow-up. Results: Over 400 workers, volunteers, and students across Australia took part in the education program. A series of linear mixed-effects models revealed significant improvements in outcome measures from pretraining ( n = 247) to posttraining ( n = 231). Improvements were maintained at follow-up ( n = 75). Limitations: Limitations of this research were the lack of a control group and a low follow-up response rate. Conclusion: Findings suggest that a 2 days tailored suicide prevention education program contributes to significant improvements in workers’ attitudes toward suicide prevention, and their confidence and competence in assessing and responding to suicidal distress.

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“…Refugee response is also working on videos to alert members of the community about scams and misinformation regarding COVID-19. Similarly, Boston College School of Social Work and the nonprofit Bhutanese Society of Western Massachusetts have produced videos in Nepali to teach Bhutanese refugees about COVID-19, recognizing that many individuals in the Bhutanese population are illiterate in their (Subedi et al 2015) which assisted Nepali communities in Massachusetts to better recognize depression and improve mental health literacy (Gurung et al 2020). San Diego's City Heights Wellness Center provided similar community education by joining local hospitals to offer multilingual cooking classes tailored to the unique needs of the culturally diverse community to combat diabetes and obesity (Sullivan 2019).…”

Section: Communication and Education Toward Awarenessmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Mental Health of Refugees during a Pandemic: Striving toward Social Justice through Social Determinants of Health and Human Rights

Yozwiak

McGuire

Aultman

2021

ABR

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This paper is the second of two in a series. In our first paper, we presented a social justice framework emerging from an extensive literature review and incorporating core social determinants specific to mental health in the age of COVID-19 and illustrated specific social determinants impacting mental health (SDIMH) of our resettled Bhutanese refugee population during the pandemic. This second paper details specific barriers to the SDIMH detrimental to the basic human rights and social justice of this population during this pandemic. The SDIMH, as described, further informs the need for social justice measures and cultural humility in mental healthcare, public health, law, and community engagement. This work concludes with a proposed call to action toward mental health improvement and fair treatment for refugee populations in three core areas: communication and education, social stigma and discrimination, and accessibility and availability of resources.

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Culturally-Appropriate Orientation Increases the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training for Bhutanese Refugees: Results from a Multi-state Program Evaluation

Cited by 15 publications

References 17 publications

Discrimination and Stress Among Asian Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the USA

Discrimination and Stress Among Asian Refugee Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Bhutanese and Burmese Refugees in the USA

An Evaluation of Suicide Prevention Education for People Working With Refugees and Asylum Seekers

The Mental Health of Refugees during a Pandemic: Striving toward Social Justice through Social Determinants of Health and Human Rights

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