Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34350902›Full record

Trial reportPsychotherapy and psychosomatics

Effectiveness of Self-Help Plus in Preventing Mental Disorders in Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Western Europe: A Multinational Randomized Controlled Trial.

Marianna Purgato, Kenneth Carswell, Federico Tedeschi, Ceren Acarturk, Minna Anttila, Teresa Au, Malek Bajbouj, Josef Baumgartner, Massimo Biondi, Rachel Churchill and 20 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Psychotherapy and psychosomatics. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06581276 (Increasing Access to Evidence-based Treatment for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder), which is not on this map. Cited by 65 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
65citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
20.4field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

NCT06581276 nacompletednot on this map

Increasing Access to Evidence-based Treatment for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder: Adapting Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Opioid Treatment Programs

TypeinterventionalSponsorMontefiore Medical CenterRan2023 to 2024Enrolled7ConditionsOpioid Use, Opioid Use Disorder, Chronic PainArmsAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

65 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 126 citations in OpenAlex.

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  7. Empowerment group therapy for refugees with affective disorders: results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial.European psychiatry : the journal of the Association of European Psychiatrists · 2023
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  16. Culturally Adapted Mental Health Education Programs for Migrant Populations: A Scoping Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
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5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

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

30 authors at 11 institutions in 8 countries.

Marianna PurgatoWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Kenneth CarswellDepartment of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Federico TedeschiWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Ceren AcarturkDepartment of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Minna AnttilaDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Teresa AuDepartment of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Malek BajboujDepartment of Psychiatry, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité, Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Josef BaumgartnerClinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Massimo BiondiDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Rachel ChurchillCentre for Review and Dissemination, University of York, York, UK.
Pim CuijpersDepartment of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Markus KoestersDepartment of Psychiatry II, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
Chiara GastaldonWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Zeynep IlkkursunDepartment of Psychology, College of Social Sciences and Humanities, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey.
Tella LanttaDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Michela NosèWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Giovanni OstuzziWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Davide PapolaWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Mariana PopaInstitute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Valentina RoselliDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Marit SijbrandijDepartment of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology, Amsterdam Public Health Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Lorenzo TarsitaniDepartment of Human Neurosciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Giulia TurriniWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Maritta VälimäkiDepartment of Nursing Science, University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Lauren WalkerMental Health and Addiction Research Group, University of York, York, UK.
Johannes WancataClinical Division of Social Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Elisa ZaniniWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Ross WhiteInstitute of Population Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Mark van OmmerenDepartment of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Corrado BarbuiWHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Mental Health and Service Evaluation, Department of Neuroscience, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
University of Verona · ITSapienza University of Rome · ITUniversity of Turku · FIWorld Health Organization · CHKoç University · TRMedical University of Vienna · ATUniversity of Liverpool · GBUniversity of York · GBVrije Universiteit Amsterdam · NLCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin · DEUniversität Ulm · DE

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSelf-Help Plus (SH+) is a group-based psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization for managing stress.

objectiveTo assess the effectiveness of SH+ in preventing mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers in Western Europe.

methodsWe conducted a randomized controlled trial in 5 European countries. Refugees and asylum seekers with psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire score ≥3), but without a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) or ICD/10 diagnosis of mental disorder, as assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), were randomized to SH+ or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). The primary outcome was the frequency of mental disorders with the MINI at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the frequency of mental disorders at postintervention, self-identified problems, psychological symptoms, and other outcomes.

resultsFour hundred fifty-nine individuals were randomly assigned to SH+ or ETAU. For the primary outcome, we found no difference in the frequency of mental disorders at 6 months (Cramer V = 0.007, p = 0.90, RR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.52-1.78), while the difference significantly favored SH+ at after the intervention (secondary outcome, measured within 2 weeks from the last session; Cramer V = 0.13, p = 0.01, RR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.29-0.87).

conclusionsThis is the first randomized indicated prevention study with the aim of preventing the onset of mental disorders in asylum seekers and refugees in Western Europe. As a prevention effect of SH+ was not observed at 6 months, but rather after the intervention only, modalities to maintain its beneficial effect in the long term need to be identified.

Indexed as

Mental DisordersPsychological DistressRefugeesStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticEuropeHumansAdultAsylum seekersPsychological stressPsychological traumaPsychological well-beingRandomized controlled trialRefugeesSelf-Help Plus

Identifiers

PMID34350902
PMCPMC8619740
OpenAlexW3187299524

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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.