A Pilot Study of a Psychoeducational Group Intervention Delivered at Asylum Accommodation Centers-A Mixed Methods Approach.

Anna Leiler,Elisabet Wasteson,Anna Bjärtå,Joanna Holmberg

doi:10.3390/ijerph17238953

Abstract

Asylum seekers suffer high levels of distress but have restricted access to mental health care. This paper constitutes an evaluation of a psycho-educational group intervention, called AMIN, which was provided at two asylum accommodation centers in Sweden. A mixed-methods approach was used. To assess potential effectiveness, acceptability, and feasibility, quantitative outcome measures were combined with qualitative information from interviews with both intervention participants and staff providing the intervention. Potential effectiveness in reducing symptoms of distress and insomnia and in increasing physical quality of life was found, even though the intervention participants suffered from more severe distress than expected. In general, the intervention seemed to be acceptable to both participants and staff, with concrete strategies seeming more meaningful than abstract psychological techniques. Finally, regardless of the asylum process itself being a complicating factor, the intervention seemed feasible to deliver to individuals with different backgrounds and conditions. Taken together, these results indicate that some sessions may need further elaboration, but also that the transition to a randomized control trial is reasonable.

Highlights

The time spent in an asylum accommodation center after arriving in a new country contains many challenges
An increase could be seen in the physical quality of life
How the themes from the intervention participant interviews and the staff interviews were sorted into the broad categories “potential effectiveness” and “acceptability” can be seen in Table 2, implementation matrix

Summary

Introduction

The time spent in an asylum accommodation center after arriving in a new country contains many challenges. Living in an asylum accommodation center often implies overcrowding, passivity, and isolation from the surrounding society, and recent reports show that individuals residing in asylum accommodation centers show high levels of distress [3,4]. The need for psychosocial interventions is clear, asylum seekers have limited access to mental health care [5]. Committee (IASC) guidelines on mental health in emergency settings [6], could be applied. While only a small percentage of the survivors of an emergency is expected to be in need of specialized psychiatric care, a larger group can be expected to be in need of basic psychosocial support. Several interventions that can be delivered by laypersons have been developed and used with refugee populations in high-income countries

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Discussion

Conclusion