Implementation of an Initial Mental Health Assessment for Newly Arrived Refugees

Mental Health Screening Approaches for Resettling Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Scoping Review

“…Processes should be streamlined to reduce the time required to complete the assessment [ 39 , 43 ]. National training programs can provide technical assistance and support culturally relevant behaviours, attitudes, and policies in clinical practice [ 41 , 106 ], and help address mental health stigma [ 66 ]. Finally, the results from two studies suggest that sequential screening (i.e., categorizing refugees by level of risk to inform linkage to care) is a pragmatic strategy that can reduce the response burden and facilitate the detection of mental health conditions in settings with a scarcity of mental health specialists [ 80 , 86 ].…”

“…A total of 25 studies evaluated the validity of mental health screening tools among a cumulative sample of N = 4341 refugees and asylum seekers [ 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 52 , 55 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 70 , 72 , 80 , 82 , 86 , 87 , 89 , 95 , 99 , 100 , 101 , 105 , 106 ]. All of the included studies followed a cross-sectional study design.…”

“…Screening targeted refugees and asylum seekers regardless of their age in nineteen studies [ 42 , 44 , 46 , 48 , 50 , 55 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 70 , 72 , 80 , 86 , 87 , 95 , 99 , 101 , 105 , 106 ], whereas it targeted adolescents and children (also referred to as minors) in five [ 52 , 67 , 82 , 89 , 100 ]. Studies seldom screened for just one mental health condition and most commonly screened for multiple; trauma-spectrum disorders, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), as well as traumatic events and experiences, were the most commonly screened conditions across studies (n = 21/25), followed by major depression (n = 12/25), anxiety (n = 8/25), somatization (n = 1/25), general psychological needs (n = 1/25), and environment safety (n = 1/25).…”

“…The Refugee Health Screener (RHS), both the 13- and 15-item versions, screened for depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder and was validated in five studies [ 46 , 65 , 66 , 70 , 106 ]. The tool was translated in all studies and the use of interpreters to facilitate its administration was reported in four of five.…”

“…The tool was translated in all studies and the use of interpreters to facilitate its administration was reported in four of five. All studies reported the adequate validity of the RHS tool in screening depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder [ 46 , 65 , 66 , 70 , 106 ].…”