Supporting social emotional learning and wellbeing of displaced adolescents from the middle east: a pilot evaluation of the 'forward with peers' intervention.

BACKGROUND: A growing literature points to the critical role schools can play in promoting improved psychosocial wellbeing and resilience among first- and second-generation Arab immigrant and refugee adolescents, but few evaluations have examined the effectiveness of culturally adapted, school-based interventions. METHODS: We conducted a pilot evaluation of a culturally adapted social and emotional learning and life skills program, Forward with Peers (FwP), and examined its potential effectiveness for this population. FwP was evaluated across three high schools in the Detroit Metropolitan Area. Within each school, one Arabic class was randomly assigned to receive FwP programming and another served as a control. The pilot evaluation sought to examine changes in several mental health and psychosocial outcomes of interest. FINDINGS: Improvements in overall perceived social support (P = 0.045) and perceived social support from someone special in one's life (0.042) were statistically significant in the treatment as compared to the control group. Comparative improvements were also marginally significant for resilience (P = 0.095) and perceived social support from family (P = 0.074). CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the potential of FwP and support the growing interest in establishing efficacy of school-based, culturally appropriate SEL programming to improve psychosocial wellbeing among Arab refugee and immigrant adolescents. FwP's demonstrated improvements in resilience and social support have the potential to prevent mental health disorders and bolster coping mechanisms to minimize adverse consequences in this vulnerable population. Employing a strengths-based approach, FwP offers an alternative intervention to traditional treatment-oriented supports for the proliferation of mental health disorders within this vulnerable population.

Women's collectives and social support: exploring pathways and impacts among forcibly displaced women.

Background: During humanitarian crises, women face both heightened vulnerabilities and a disruption to their social networks. Previous research points to the positive impact of women's collectives in low-income settings, but less is known about the distinct forms, mechanisms, and consequences of the social support that emerges from these collectives, particularly for women affected by conflict. Recognizing the importance of social support in such contexts, this study utilizes the photovoice methodology to examine the dynamics of social support across women's collectives in three distinct settings. Methods: This study recruited forcibly displaced women participating in women's collectives in Indonesia (n = 5), Jordan (n = 12), and Uganda (n = 11). Photovoice, a participatory research method that centers the voices of study participants, was implemented across 7-8 sessions in each setting. Participants took photographs in response to four prompts and then discussed their pictures and lived experiences related to social support in facilitated discussion groups. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis and a mixed inductive and deductive approach. Results: Across all study sites, participants highlighted the importance of five types of informal social support: emotional, instrumental, informational, companionship, and esteem support. Emotional support, one of the most prominently mentioned forms, served to buffer against stressors and enhance mental well-being. Instrumental and informational support facilitated meeting basic needs, accessing resources, and, in Uganda, improving members' physical safety. Companionship support fostered a sense of belonging and shared identity, while esteem support validated members' perspectives and aspirations and bolstered self-worth. In the Jordan collective, esteem support proved especially beneficial in countering the marginalization members experienced in their community. Discussion: Findings underscore the critical role of women's collectives in providing diverse forms of social support to foster empowerment, agency, and resilience among forcibly displaced women. By centering the voices of participants and employing survivor-centered approaches like photovoice, this study amplifies the perspectives of women within these collectives, contributing to more inclusive and responsive humanitarian interventions. Future research should continue prioritizing women's experiences and research questions, ensuring that interventions address their needs effectively.