Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review
In Europe, migrants and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for mental disorders compared to the general population. However, little is known about which interventions improve their mental health and well-being and about their underlying mechanisms that reduce existing mental health inequitie...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023-01-01
|
| Series: | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425123000158/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797832991627542528 |
|---|---|
| author | Hanne Apers Lore Van Praag Christiana Nöstlinger Charles Agyemang |
| author_facet | Hanne Apers Lore Van Praag Christiana Nöstlinger Charles Agyemang |
| author_sort | Hanne Apers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In Europe, migrants and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for mental disorders compared to the general population. However, little is known about which interventions improve their mental health and well-being and about their underlying mechanisms that reduce existing mental health inequities. To fill this gap, the aim of this scoping review was to synthesise the available evidence on health promotion, prevention, and non-medical treatment interventions targeting migrants and ethnic minority populations. By mapping and synthesising the findings, including facilitators and barriers for intervention uptake, this scoping review provides valuable insights for developing future interventions. We used the PICo strategy and PRISMA guidelines to select peer-reviewed articles assessing studies on interventions. In total, we included 27 studies and synthesised the results based on the type of intervention, intervention mechanisms and outcomes, and barriers and facilitators to intervention uptake. We found that the selected studies implemented tailored interventions to reach these specific populations who are at risk due to structural inequities such as discrimination and racism, stigma associated with mental health, language barriers, and problems in accessing health care. The majority of interventions showed a positive effect on participants’ mental health, indicating the importance of using a tailored approach. We identified three main successful mechanisms for intervention development and implementation: a sound theory-base, systematic adaption to make interventions culturally sensitive and participatory approaches. Moreover, this review indicates the need to holistically address social determinants of health through intersectoral programming to promote and improve mental health among migrants and ethnic minority populations. We identified current shortcomings and knowledge gaps within this field: rigorous intervention studies were scarce, there was a large diversity regarding migrant population groups and few studies evaluated the interventions’ (cost-)effectiveness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:16:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b0651ba495634ada8c192207010456ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-4251 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T14:16:36Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-b0651ba495634ada8c192207010456ed2023-05-05T08:07:58ZengCambridge University PressCambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health2054-42512023-01-011010.1017/gmh.2023.15Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping reviewHanne Apers0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6371-2425Lore Van Praag1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2861-7523Christiana Nöstlinger2https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9031-8503Charles Agyemang3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3882-7295Centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies/Centre for Population, Family and Health, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumErasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine Antwerp, Antwerp, BelgiumDepartment of Public and Occupational Health, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsIn Europe, migrants and ethnic minority groups are at greater risk for mental disorders compared to the general population. However, little is known about which interventions improve their mental health and well-being and about their underlying mechanisms that reduce existing mental health inequities. To fill this gap, the aim of this scoping review was to synthesise the available evidence on health promotion, prevention, and non-medical treatment interventions targeting migrants and ethnic minority populations. By mapping and synthesising the findings, including facilitators and barriers for intervention uptake, this scoping review provides valuable insights for developing future interventions. We used the PICo strategy and PRISMA guidelines to select peer-reviewed articles assessing studies on interventions. In total, we included 27 studies and synthesised the results based on the type of intervention, intervention mechanisms and outcomes, and barriers and facilitators to intervention uptake. We found that the selected studies implemented tailored interventions to reach these specific populations who are at risk due to structural inequities such as discrimination and racism, stigma associated with mental health, language barriers, and problems in accessing health care. The majority of interventions showed a positive effect on participants’ mental health, indicating the importance of using a tailored approach. We identified three main successful mechanisms for intervention development and implementation: a sound theory-base, systematic adaption to make interventions culturally sensitive and participatory approaches. Moreover, this review indicates the need to holistically address social determinants of health through intersectoral programming to promote and improve mental health among migrants and ethnic minority populations. We identified current shortcomings and knowledge gaps within this field: rigorous intervention studies were scarce, there was a large diversity regarding migrant population groups and few studies evaluated the interventions’ (cost-)effectiveness.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425123000158/type/journal_articleWell-beingmental healthinterventionethnic minoritymigrationreviewEuropecultural adaptationcommunity participation |
| spellingShingle | Hanne Apers Lore Van Praag Christiana Nöstlinger Charles Agyemang Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health Well-being mental health intervention ethnic minority migration review Europe cultural adaptation community participation |
| title | Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review |
| title_full | Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review |
| title_fullStr | Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review |
| title_short | Interventions to improve the mental health or mental well-being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in Europe: A scoping review |
| title_sort | interventions to improve the mental health or mental well being of migrants and ethnic minority groups in europe a scoping review |
| topic | Well-being mental health intervention ethnic minority migration review Europe cultural adaptation community participation |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2054425123000158/type/journal_article |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT hanneapers interventionstoimprovethementalhealthormentalwellbeingofmigrantsandethnicminoritygroupsineuropeascopingreview AT lorevanpraag interventionstoimprovethementalhealthormentalwellbeingofmigrantsandethnicminoritygroupsineuropeascopingreview AT christiananostlinger interventionstoimprovethementalhealthormentalwellbeingofmigrantsandethnicminoritygroupsineuropeascopingreview AT charlesagyemang interventionstoimprovethementalhealthormentalwellbeingofmigrantsandethnicminoritygroupsineuropeascopingreview |