Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32552878›Full record

Trial reportBMC psychiatry2020

Improving the mental wellbeing of Arabic speaking refugees: an evaluation of a mental health promotion program.

Shameran Slewa-Younan, Molly McKenzie, Russell Thomson, Mitchell Smith, Yaser Mohammad, Jonathan Mond

Open access · goldAbstract readClinical Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC psychiatry, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 14 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 32 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Culturally Adapted Mental Health Education Programs for Migrant Populations: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Gender, Mental Health Stigma, and Help-Seeking in Arabic- and Swahili-Speaking Communities in Australia.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Observational
  13. Article
  14. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Shameran Slewa-YounanMental Health, Translational Health Research Institute, School of Medicine, Humanitarian and Development Research Initiative, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia. s.younan@westernsydney.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0003-1556-5760
Molly McKenzieMental Health, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia.
Russell ThomsonSchool of Computing, Engineering and Mathematics, Western Sydney University, Sydney, Australia.
Mitchell SmithNSW Refugee Health Service, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Liverpool, NSW, Australia.
Yaser MohammadMental Health, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia.
Jonathan MondMental Health, School of Medicine, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia.
Camden and Campbelltown Hospitals · AUSouth Western Sydney Local Health District · AUWestern Sydney University · AU

Funding

NSW Refugee Health Service Research Contract
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRefugee populations have particularly high rates of mental health problems, including Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and depression. However, uptake of mental health care may be low even when severe depression and PTSD symptoms are present in individuals following resettlement. This is likely due, at least in part, to cultural influences on refugees' knowledge and beliefs about mental health problems and their treatment. We sought to provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of a culturally tailored mental health promotion program for Arabic-speaking refugees.

methodsA total of 33 Arabic-speaking refugees resettled in South Western Sydney were recruited and completed intervention which consisted of weekly three-hour sessions for 4 weeks delivered in Arabic. Key aspects of mental health literacy, help-seeking intentions and levels of general psychological distress were assessed, by means of a self-report survey, pre-intervention, (immediately) post-intervention and 3 months following intervention.

resultsOf the 33 participants that completed the intervention, 31 completed the immediate post-intervention survey and 29 completed the 3 months follow-up survey. Improvements in most aspects of mental health literacy assessed were found immediately post-intervention and at follow-up, although only changes relating to stigmatising attitudes were statistically significant. Additionally, a statistically significant decrease in participants' levels of general psychological distress was observed immediately following the intervention, and this decrease was sustained at follow-up.

conclusionWhile further research employing a more rigorous study design and larger sample size will be needed, results of this initial trial suggest that a culturally tailored mental health promotion program targeting key aspects of mental health literacy can improve the mental health of Arabic-speaking refugees resettled in a Western nation.

Indexed as

LanguageArabsDepressionFemaleHealth PromotionHumansMaleMental HealthMiddle AgedNew South WalesProgram EvaluationRefugeesStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticMental healthMental health literacyMental health promotionRefugee

Identifiers

PMID32552878
PMCPMC7301457
OpenAlexW3036240863

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.