Regina T. Praetorius

Listening to refugees: How traditional mental health interventions may miss the mark

Understanding the dynamics of mental health of recently resettled refugees is an essential component of any comprehensive resettlement program, yet establishing the components of a successful and acceptable mental health intervention is an elusive task. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 30 resettled refugees from five countries who had received treatment for depression, post-traumatic stress symptoms, or anxiety. Themes generated from the interviews emphasized the need for strong group-based social support as well as a focus on practical needs such as acquiring and maintaining employment, language and literacy training, and access to care.

Knowledge is (Not) Power: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity for African-American Women

African-American women are more likely to be overweight or obese as compared to other ethnic groups. The purpose of this Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis (QIMS) was to explore the experiences that African-American women encounter when trying to eat healthily and maintain physical activity to inform practice and research. The QIMS included studies from various disciplines to understand the experiences of African-American women with eating healthily and being physically active. Five themes were identified: family; structured support; translating knowledge into behavior modifications; barriers to physical activity; and God is my healer. These themes enhance understanding of what African-American women know, their support system(s), and how cultural barriers impact nutrition and physical activity.

Supportive exits: A best practices report for a sex worker intervention

Abstract Despite the prevalence of agencies serving sex workers in the United States, there are few program evaluations of supportive services. Phenomenological methods were used to explore the lived experiences of 13 sex workers receiving supportive services in a major city in the American Southwest. Results from this study suggest that clients find the trusted and supportive community within the agency especially helpful. Length of time with the agency influenced respondents’ perceptions of supportive services. Respondents, however, suggested improvements to services such as mentorship programs, opportunities for outreach participation, and services for male sex workers.

Mental health treatment for resettled refugees: A comparison of three approaches

ABSTRACT Mental health concerns are a major factor in the overall wellness and stability of resettled refugees. While the need for mental health treatment for this population has been well-documented, less is known about the effectiveness of various treatment modalities on mental health outcomes. The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to assess the impact of three different mental health interventions among refugees from Burundi, Burma, The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, and Bhutan. The effects of eight weeks of randomly assigned office-based counseling (treatment as usual [TAU]), home-based counseling (HBC), and a community-based psycho-educational group (CPG) on posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, somatization, and social support were evaluated using a pre–post design. Results indicate merit in each of the treatment modalities, with varying efficacy across intervention according to mental health symptoms. In general, however, participants in HBC and CPG demonstrated greater overall improvement in mental health outcomes than participants receiving TAU.

Environmental influences on services for and mental health of incarcerated populations: A review

There has been growing concern about the quality of health services, including mental health services, within the world’s and prisons. The purpose of the current qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis (QIMS) is to examine the prison environment and how it influences the mental health services delivered to prisoners. It is the hope of these authors that with this QIMS, knowledge improvements and modifications to current policies and practices can begin to take shape. A total of five studies published between 2003 and 2013 were utilized for this QIMS. Participants in all five studies included males and females incarcerated in England, Wales, and the United States. Three overarching themes were identified after analysis: difficulties with accessing services, difficulties with primary staff, and isolation. In each overarching theme, sub-themes are reviewed in detail. These three broad categories are discussed in relation to the person-in-environment system, demonstrating its application in an incarcerated setting.

Experiences of former child soldiers in Africa: A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis:

Child soldiering affects approximately 300,000 children worldwide. Abducted and forced into combat, victims experience trauma that may have life-long effects. Thus, it is important to understand child soldiers’ experiences and develop culturally appropriate interventions. Using Qualitative Interpretive Meta-Synthesis (QIMS), the authors sought to understand the lived experiences of ex-child soldiers in Sierra Leone, Northern Uganda, and Liberia. Findings revealed the experiential nuances of four phases ex-child soldiers experience: abduction; militarization; demilitarization and reintegration; and civilian life. Findings enhance current knowledge about ex-child soldiers’experiences and inform policy and program design to help ex-child soldiers cope with the aftermath of the war and civilian life.

Cultural integration through shared learning among resettled Bhutanese women

ABSTRACT The multidimensional needs of recently resettled refugees have been well documented and range from elevated rates of mental illness and health care challenges to difficulties accessing resources due to language and literacy barriers. These factors are largely responsible for the challenges resettled refugees face in acquiring and maintaining stable employment. It is possible that achieving financial stability through steady employment and purposeful money management may alleviate some stressors associated with the resettlement process, though research in this area that is specific to refugees is in its infancy. What is clear, however, is that a traditional approach to mental health treatment (i.e., therapy in a traditional office setting) may lack effectiveness because of the lack of attention to extraneous stressors such as poverty, transportation, and language and literacy challenges that impact resettled refugees. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively assess the impact of a group-based financial education course and social enterprise on the self-reported mental health (i.e., post-traumatic stress symptoms, depression, anxiety, and somatization) of Bhutanese refugee women resettled in the United States. The study also sought to evaluate the acceptability and overall satisfaction with various components of the intervention. This qualitative study was a follow-up to a larger quantitative study that included 65 Bhutanese women who were resettled to the southwestern United States by a large resettlement agency. The results of this study offer insights into the lived experiences of Bhutanese refugees in the United States, particularly related to cultural integration bolstered by group-based education and shared learning opportunities.

Survivors of suicide: who they are and how do they heal?

A questionnaire was administered to a national sample of 293 people receiving the American Association of Suicidology’s Surviving Suicide to learn (a) who self-identifies as bereaved by suicide (survivors), (b) their coping strategies, and (c) what they prefer to be called. Findings suggest that (a) there are many different relationships in which people are bereaved, (b) survivors use many coping strategies, and (c) they use numerous terms to describe themselves. Implications include outreach to survivors should go beyond the immediate family, the suicide support group should not be the sole suggestion for services, and many prefer the term suicide survivor.

Counselor happiness: Effects of therapy work with similar trauma

ABSTRACT Many studies have researched burnout, compassion fatigue, secondary trauma, vicarious trauma, and shared trauma of practicing mental health professionals. Few have focused directly on the impact of personal trauma history on mental health professionals’ happiness. This exploratory study used an online survey to investigate the relationships among mental health professionals’ personal trauma history, happiness, and the effects of seeing clients with similar trauma. Personal trauma history was determined through a demographic survey and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist, and happiness was analyzed using the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire. The study examined several demographic variables to predict happiness. The study found that posttraumatic stress and number of client sessions were the most significant predictors of happiness.

The Impact of a Death Row Exoneration Testimonial on Social Work Students: A Teaching Note.

ABSTRACT Criminal-justice-involved clients often are a complicated population for students to consider through a lens of oppression. Nevertheless, it is critical that they do so given that many will serve clients with criminal records during their careers. An attempt to challenge students’ prejudice toward criminal-justice-involved people was deployed using a teaching technique derived from intergroup contact theory. The authors invited Juan Melendez to share his story of incarceration on death row for more than 17 years for a crime he did not commit. This article is an examination of the impact of Mr. Melendez’s story and the application of intergroup contact theory.