SynthesisBMC psychiatry2025
Psychological interventions for refugees with depression: a systematic literature review.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Psychiatric Association of Türkiye Mood Disorders Section Depression Treatment Guideline - III: Treatment Approach for Depression Subtypes and Special Groups, Psychotherapies, and Psychosocial Interventions.Turk psikiyatri dergisi = Turkish journal of psychiatry · 2026Guideline
- Culturally adapted Metacognitive Training for Depression (CA-D-MCT) for Arabic- and Farsi-speaking refugees: a feasibility trial.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2025Trial
- Anxiety and depression in war-displaced refugees: resilience as a moderating factor: a cross-sectional study.BMC public health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundOngoing global crises are forcing an increasing number of people to seek refuge in other countries. Refugees have often experienced multiple potentially traumatic events before and during their flight and are burdened by psychosocial problems in exile. Epidemiological research suggests that many refugees suffer from depression and need psychological care. Yet, a systematic review of psychological interventions for refugees with depression is lacking.
methodAfter registering in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), a systematic search for trials of psychological interventions for adult refugees with depression was conducted across three electronic databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science, & PsycINFO). Relevant data reported in original journal publications were extracted, synthesized and assessed qualitatively by two independent raters. The methodological quality of included trials was assessed.
resultsOf 1316 publications, a total of 20 studies met eligibility criteria. Nine of these trials were carried out in an individual setting and ten in a group setting, with one of the trials being conducted digitally. Nine studies were designed as a randomized controlled trial (RCT), with only one of them using an active control group. In nine trials, the use of an interpreter was reported. Three of the trials applied multimodal treatments, and a total of sixteen studies applied manualized treatments. Seventeen interventions were adaptations of treatment programs developed in high income countries within a western context. Overall, nineteen out of twenty trials reported a significant improvement in depressive symptoms. Culturally adapted cognitive behavioural therapy (CA-CBT) was most frequently used (4 RCTs) and produced large effect sizes. Overall, all trials had limitations in study design.
conclusionsOur current review suggests that psychological interventions, and in particular CA-CBT interventions, can significantly improve depressive symptoms in refugees. However, the small number of trials and limitations in study design underscore the need for more research in this field. The protocol for this review was registered in PROSPERO; registration number: CRD42021251943.
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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.