RESUMO
Preventative behavioral interventions aimed at reducing mental problems among refugees are limited. We assessed the effect of a Social and Emotional Wellbeing (SEW) intervention on health-promoting behaviors (coping, social-networking, and conflict-resolution) and health-outcomes (stress, anxiety, and depression) among resettled Bhutanese adults in Western Massachusetts. The study was a community-based SEW intervention with pre-posttest evaluation among 44 Bhutanese adults in Western Massachusetts. The SEW is a culturally tailored 5-week, once-weekly health-education, problem solving, and mind-body exercise program to promote stress management skills. We used validated scales to measure outcomes. Mean scores of mental problems decreased by 5.9 for depression, 9.0 for anxiety, and 5.0 for stress post-intervention (p < 0.01). Mean scores increased by 27.3 for coping, 10.6 for social support, and 20.4 for conflict-resolution. Mean social-network scores increased by 4.6 for family, 4.7 for friends, and 1.8 for community networks (p < 0.01). Our Bhutanese participants reported improvement in their mental health after attending SEW intervention.
Assuntos
Emoções , Saúde Mental , Adulto , Butão , Promoção da Saúde , Humanos , MassachusettsRESUMO
Family-centred interventions addressing sociocultural and emotional stressors promise to prevent mental health problems among refugees in the United States. Peer-led strategies are highly valued, as they engage communities and promote the sustainability of interventions. We assessed the effects of a peer-led family-centred Social and Emotional Well-being (SEW) intervention on preventive (coping, social networking and conflict resolution) and mental health outcomes (stress, anxiety and depression) among resettled Bhutanese adults in Massachusetts. We conducted a SEW intervention with a pre-intervention versus post-intervention (7-day) and follow-up (3-month) evaluation among 103 adults (50 families). The SEW is a culturally tailored 5-weekly session program that included health education, problem-solving and mind-body exercises to increase knowledge and skills regarding stress management and conflict resolution. We measured anxiety and depression using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 and stress using Cohen Perceived Stress scales. Health-promoting behaviours were measured using validated scales. We used paired t-tests for continuous and McNemar tests for categorical variables. Mean scores significantly decreased from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up for stress by 15% and 13.9%, anxiety by 20.9% and 25.1% and depression by 18.7% and 20.4% (all p's < 0.01). Mean scores increased from pre-intervention to post-intervention and follow-up for coping by 10% and 17.2%, and for community networking by 28% and 36.8% (all p's < 0.01). Generalised estimating equations showed a significant reduction in stress, anxiety, depression and improved coping, self-efficacy, family and community networking scored from baseline to follow-ups (all p's < 0.01). Our peer-led family-centred SEW intervention was associated with improved preventive and mental health outcomes among Bhutanese adults.