Mental Health in Refugees and Asylum Seekers: from Evaluating Needs and Psychological Mechanisms to Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy

Abstract

The present habilitation project encompasses research on multiple and complex levels of mental health care preferences and expectations, support systems, psychological mechanisms, as well as novel and culturally sensitive treatment approaches for RAS who primarily stem from Arabic- and Farsi-speaking countries. Until today, there are still enormous mental health treatment gaps for RAS, regardless of the country of residence. The current investigations shed light on a variety of facets, including preferences and expectations on psychotherapy (Böge et al., 2021), the key role of perceived stress and social support on psychopathology (Böge et al., 2020), as well as the representation of symptoms and the influence of stigma in refugee populations (Lindheimer et al., 2020). Moreover, we could show that emotional regulation appears to be a vital psychological mechanism mediating the effect between early life stress and the development of psychiatric symptoms, suggesting a direction for personalized psychotherapeutic interventions in refugees (Demir et al., 2020). In a last step, we developed a novel stepped collaborative and care model, which proved the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness in alleviating depressive symptoms of adolescent and adult RAS compared to routine mental health care in Germany (Böge et al, 2022). Against this background, the outcomes of this habilitation project are relevant because they outline where cultural barriers lie, showcase possible ways of overcoming those and depict a suitable, scalable, and collaborative intervention approach. Our outcomes pave the way for resource-saving, cost-efficient, and tailored psychological interventions, specifically for humanitarian aid and international settings with low human and financial resources. In challenging times and impending decades, in which large-scale migration movements and pandemics significantly increase the relevance of global mental health, our findings are especially valuable. Consequently, outcomes of the present work make key contributions to and have implications and a meaningful influence on the immediate and long-term mental health and its provision for RAS worldwide.