Delivering Psychological Services to Refugees Resettled in the United States

Author(s):  
Johanna E. Nilsson ◽  
Sally Stratmann ◽  
Aurora Molitoris ◽  
Marcella A. Beaumont ◽  
Jessica Horine

Approximately 25 million refugees have fled their homelands internationally, and about 3 million have been resettled in the United States. The mental health needs of a population that has fled oppression, violence, and instability are diverse. This chapter seeks to provide a holistic overview of these needs. The introduction covers what defines the status of a refugee, current resettlement policies, and pre- and post-migration experiences and concerns among refugees, including barriers to basic services. Effective mental health treatment options and areas of competence for mental health professionals working with these individuals are discussed, along with future considerations for best meeting the mental health needs of refugees.

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Lopez ◽  
Ioana Boie

With large numbers of immigrants living in the United States and a recent increase in deportations, it is imperative that mental health professionals are aware of the implications involved in working with immigrants affected by deportation. The perspectives of non-mental health professionals working with immigrants are valuable in providing insight into the complexity of issues encountered when working with this population. The participants discussed perceptions, reactions, perceived mental health needs, and recommendations for working with Mexican immigrants.


2012 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeyinka Akinsulure-Smith ◽  
Maile O'Hara

The number of forced migrants arriving in the United States continues to increase. To provide effective therapeutic services and interventions for them, it is important for clinicians to understand the unique role that mental health professionals can play in improving the mental health of this diverse population. This article draws attention to the mental health needs of forced migrants and highlights considerations, such as medical, social, legal, cultural, and linguistic factors, that providing services to this population may entail. It also suggests ways in which counselors can actively, competently, and ethically address the social justice issues that impact forced migrants.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 127 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oluwatoyin Olukotun ◽  
Kaboni Gondwe ◽  
Lucy Mkandawire-Valhmu

In the United States, undocumented immigrants often encounter complex challenges that impact their emotional well-being. Existing literature has primarily focused on Latino immigrants. Thus, little is known about the mental health needs of undocumented African immigrant women. To address this gap, we examined the stressors, mental health concerns and coping strategies of undocumented African migrant women in the United States. This qualitative study used a postcolonial feminist framework approach. Twenty-four undocumented African migrant women were interviewed, and data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings showed that the women dealt with complex stressors created by the sociopolitical environment. These stressors contributed to feelings of depression and anxiety which they coped with using social support and religion. The results uncover the need for culturally relevant tools for screening and addressing the mental health needs of undocumented women and increased awareness amongst healthcare providers on how social context and policies adversely impact the mental health of marginalized groups. Lastly, at a structural level, the need for policy and social change that fosters an inclusive and safe environment for undocumented persons.


2020 ◽  
pp. 152483992094251
Author(s):  
Darlene Xiomara Rodriguez ◽  
Jessica Hill ◽  
Paul N. McDaniel

Immigration—both the experience of migrating and events after migration—can affect the mental health and well-being of immigrants and their communities. However, evidence suggests that immigrants in the United States do not access mental health services to the same extent as nonimmigrants. In particular, immigrant adolescents and young adults may have unique stressors related to their developmental stage, experiences in school and with peer groups, and shifting roles within family systems. This scoping review summarizes findings from published research studies and practitioner-focused gray literature about the mental health needs of immigrant communities in the United States. The review finds that specific mental health needs vary across factors like age, racial/ethnic group, immigration status, and place of residency. Findings also indicate that structural factors like immigration-related laws affect both access to mental health services and stressors in the overall environment for immigrants and their families. This review also explores models of community-level initiatives that utilize strengths-based approaches to promoting mental health and well-being among immigrant communities. Findings highlight the need for a better understanding of the mental health needs and current barriers to care among diverse immigrant populations, as immigration continues to play a major role in U.S. public policy and discourse. The COVID-19 pandemic taking place as this article goes to press in 2020 also raises questions regarding health equity and access for marginalized populations, including immigrants and their communities, and so these findings also indicate the need for further interdisciplinary research to assess intersections among the pandemic’s many impacts, including those related to mental health and well-being.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 86-101
Author(s):  
Lisbeth A. Leagjeld ◽  
Phillip L. Waalkes ◽  
Maribeth F. Jorgensen

Researchers have frequently described rural women as invisible, yet at 28 million, they represent over half of the rural population in the United States. We conducted a transcendental phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews and artifacts to explore 12 Midwestern rural-based mental health counselors’ experiences counseling rural women through a feminist lens. Overall, we found eight themes organized under two main categories: (a) perceptions of work with rural women (e.g., counselors’ sense of purpose, a rural heritage, a lack of training for work with rural women, and the need for additional research); and (b) perceptions of rural women and mental health (e.g., challenges, resiliency, protective factors, and barriers to mental health services for rural women). We offer specific implications for counselors to address the unique mental health needs of rural women, including hearing their stories through their personal lenses and offering them opportunities for empowerment at their own pace.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen C. Rogers ◽  
Michelle Bobich ◽  
Patrick Heppell

<p class="BodyA">The commentaries by Williams (2016) and Gartenberg and Lang (2016) on the case of Cathy and her mother Ms. Z (Rogers, Bobich, &amp; Heppell, 2016) explore the similarities between children who have been homeless and those in the foster system, and highlight the importance of trauma-focused treatment to address their mental health needs.&nbsp; A further consideration of the challenges to obtaining such treatment due to system barriers, stigma, and the intergenerational transmission of trauma is applied to the case of Cathy. This illustrates the importance of an array of mental health treatment options and the ability to transition from one treatment (an Incredible Years [IY] &nbsp;group) to another (Child-Parent Psychotherapy [CPP]) as opportunities to increase access to needed care for marginalized families.</p>


2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily K. Simpson ◽  
Narissa M. Ramirez ◽  
Brittany Branstetter ◽  
Aileen Reed ◽  
Evan Lines

Following a stroke, depression and anxiety may negatively affect recovery and decrease quality of life. Occupational therapy (OT) practitioners are distinctly qualified to address both the physical and psychosocial sequelae of a stroke, including clients’ mental and emotional health. This study explored the ways in which OT practitioners address the mental health needs of clients post stroke. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was used to collect both survey and focus group data. In all, 754 OT practitioners across the United States completed an online survey, and 10 practitioners participated in focus groups. Practitioners considered their clients’ mental health needs to be a priority (68.17%); however, only 56.64% were satisfied with the care they provided related to mental and emotional health. They identified barriers that included limited time, increased productivity standards, expectations related to physical recovery, and poor educational preparation. Practitioners are motivated to improve their provision of mental health services to clients post stroke. To address the conflict between practice realities and professional values, education programs should better integrate curricular components that focus on physical and mental health.


2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii440-iii440
Author(s):  
Kathy Riley

Abstract In the United States, more than 28,000 children and teenagers live with the diagnosis of a primary brain tumor (Porter, McCarthy, Freels, Kim, & Davis, 2010). In 2017, an estimated 4,820 new cases of childhood primary brain and other central nervous system tumors were expected to be diagnosed in children ages 0 – 19 in the United States (Central Brain Tumor Registry of the United States, 2017). Survivors suffer from lifelong side effects caused by their illness or by various treatments. Commonly identified late effects of treatment include a decline in intellectual functioning and processing speed, performance IQ deficits, memory deficits, psychological difficulties, deficits in adaptive functioning (daily life skills), and an overall decrease in health-related quality of life (Castellino, Ullrich, Whelen, & Lange, 2014). To address the ongoing challenges these survivors and their families face, the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation (PBTF) met extensively with working groups comprised of survivors and caregivers to develop the outline for a comprehensive Survivorship Resource Guidebook. In 2019, the PBTF published the guidebook which categorizes survivor and caregiver needs into three primary areas: physical and mental health, quality of life, and working the system. Expert authors included survivors and caregivers themselves in addition to medical and mental health professionals. Key outcomes discovered during the creation and production of this resource highlight how caregivers, survivors and professionals can collaborate to provide needed information and practical help to one segment of the pediatric cancer population who experience profound morbidities as a result of their diagnosis and treatment.


2002 ◽  
Vol 159 (5) ◽  
pp. 845-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Edlund ◽  
Philip S. Wang ◽  
Patricia A. Berglund ◽  
Stephen J. Katz ◽  
Elizabeth Lin ◽  
...  

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