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

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  • Olivia Magwood

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada
    Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, 25 University Private, Ottawa, ON K1N 7K4, Canada)

  • Azaad Kassam

    (Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, 75 Laurier Ave E, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
    Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, 1365 Richmond Rd #2, Ottawa, ON K2B 6R7, Canada
    Ottawa Newcomer Health Centre, 291 Argyle, Ottawa, ON K2P 1B8, Canada)

  • Dorsa Mavedatnia

    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada)

  • Oreen Mendonca

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada)

  • Ammar Saad

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada
    School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON K1G 5Z3, Canada
    Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 5B2, Canada)

  • Hafsa Hasan

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada
    Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, ON M5T 3M6, Canada)

  • Maria Madana

    (Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8M5, Canada)

  • Dominique Ranger

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada)

  • Yvonne Tan

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada
    Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Queen’s University, 99 University Ave, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada)

  • Kevin Pottie

    (C.T. Lamont Primary Care Research Center, Bruyère Research Institute, 85 Primrose Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1R 7G5, Canada
    Department of Family Medicine, Western University, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada)

Abstract

Refugees and asylum seekers often face delayed mental health diagnoses, treatment, and care. COVID-19 has exacerbated these issues. Delays in diagnosis and care can reduce the impact of resettlement services and may lead to poor long-term outcomes. This scoping review aims to characterize studies that report on mental health screening for resettling refugees and asylum seekers pre-departure and post-arrival to a resettlement state. We systematically searched six bibliographic databases for articles published between 1995 and 2020 and conducted a grey literature search. We included publications that evaluated early mental health screening approaches for refugees of all ages. Our search identified 25,862 citations and 70 met the full eligibility criteria. We included 45 publications that described mental health screening programs, 25 screening tool validation studies, and we characterized 85 mental health screening tools. Two grey literature reports described pre-departure mental health screening. Among the included publications, three reported on two programs for women, 11 reported on programs for children and adolescents, and four reported on approaches for survivors of torture. Programs most frequently screened for overall mental health, PTSD, and depression. Important considerations that emerged from the literature include cultural and psychological safety to prevent re-traumatization and digital tools to offer more private and accessible self-assessments.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivia Magwood & Azaad Kassam & Dorsa Mavedatnia & Oreen Mendonca & Ammar Saad & Hafsa Hasan & Maria Madana & Dominique Ranger & Yvonne Tan & Kevin Pottie, 2022. "Mental Health Screening Approaches for Resettling Refugees and Asylum Seekers: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(6), pages 1-41, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:6:p:3549-:d:772833
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jia Lu & Shabana Jamani & Joseph Benjamen & Eric Agbata & Olivia Magwood & Kevin Pottie, 2020. "Global Mental Health and Services for Migrants in Primary Care Settings in High-Income Countries: A Scoping Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-28, November.
    2. Nikendei, Christoph & Kindermann, David & Brandenburg-Ceynowa, Hannah & Derreza-Greeven, Cassandra & Zeyher, Valentina & Junne, Florian & Friederich, Hans-Christoph & Bozorgmehr, Kayvan, 2019. "Asylum seekers’ mental health and treatment utilization in a three months follow-up study after transfer from a state registration-and reception-center in Germany," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(9), pages 864-872.
    3. Thomas James Dunn & Annabel Browne & Steven Haworth & Fatima Wurie & Ines Campos-Matos, 2021. "Service Evaluation of the English Refugee Health Information System: Considerations and Recommendations for Effective Resettlement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-11, September.
    4. Douglas Gruner & Olivia Magwood & Lissa Bair & Liezl Duff & Shiva Adel & Kevin Pottie, 2020. "Understanding Supporting and Hindering Factors in Community-Based Psychotherapy for Refugees: A Realist-Informed Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-27, June.
    5. Satinsky, Emily & Fuhr, Daniela C. & Woodward, Aniek & Sondorp, Egbert & Roberts, Bayard, 2019. "Mental health care utilisation and access among refugees and asylum seekers in Europe: A systematic review," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(9), pages 851-863.
    6. Joseph Benjamen & Vincent Girard & Shabana Jamani & Olivia Magwood & Tim Holland & Nazia Sharfuddin & Kevin Pottie, 2021. "Access to Refugee and Migrant Mental Health Care Services during the First Six Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Canadian Refugee Clinician Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-11, May.
    7. Gemma-Claire Ali & Grace Ryan & Mary J De Silva, 2016. "Validated Screening Tools for Common Mental Disorders in Low and Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 11(6), pages 1-14, June.
    8. Tay, Kuowei & Frommer, Naomi & Hunter, Jill & Silove, Derrick & Pearson, Linda & San Roque, Mehera & Redman, Ronnit & Bryant, Richard A. & Manicavasagar, Vijaya & Steel, Zachary, 2013. "A mixed-method study of expert psychological evidence submitted for a cohort of asylum seekers undergoing refugee status determination in Australia," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 106-115.
    9. Kolitha Wickramage & Davide Mosca, 2014. "Can Migration Health Assessments Become a Mechanism for Global Public Health Good?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-10, September.
    10. Azaad Kassam & Olivia Magwood & Kevin Pottie, 2020. "Fostering Refugee and Other Migrant Resilience through Empowerment, Pluralism, and Collaboration in Mental Health," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-3, December.
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