Evidence Database
Switchboard helps refugees service providers in the U.S. design and implement evidence-based interventions through the production of Evidence Summaries. These resources summarize the literature and state of evidence related to specific outcomes or interventions. Evidence Summary topics are determined each year based on the results of Switchboard’s Annual Needs Assessment. Evidence summaries are developed on the basis of an Evidence Summary Protocol.
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Background: Since the onset of the 2015 European refugee crisis, ~4. 46 million people have sought asylum in the European Union, with Germany logging the largest share of all asylum applications. In addition to the severe adversities before and during flight, the process of settling into a new environment involves stressors that affect psychological well-being […]
- Year Published: 2020
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
Social mobility affects health, but comprehensive evidence on its health effects in migration contexts is lacking. This systematic review summarizes the global empirical quantitative evidence on the impact of migration-induced subjective social mobility on self-rated health outcomes among first-generation migrants, including internally displaced people, international and internal migrants. A systematic search was performed in three […]
- Year Published: 2025
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
Background: Refugees and asylum seekers often experience trauma, leading to high rates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the extent to which trauma and PTSD impacts social functioning, such as social relationships or engaging with community activities in new environments, remains unclear. Aims: This systematic review aims to identify key areas of social functioning influenced […]
- Year Published: 2025
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
Hardly any evidence exists on the effects of mental distress on refugee labor outcomes. We offer the first study on this topic in the context of Australia, one of the host countries with the largest number of refugees per capita in the world. Analyzing the Building a New Life in Australia longitudinal survey, we exploit […]
- Year Published: 2023
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Impact evaluation
Background: For the general population, the positive effects of paid employment on health and wellbeing are well established. However, less is known for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. This review aims to systematically summarise the quantitative literature on the relationship between employment and health and wellbeing for refugees and asylum seekers. Method: A search […]
- Year Published: 2022
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
Background: Finding work is an important priority for many refugees in the initial years following settlement in a host country. Difficulties in finding work could conceivably both contribute to and be a consequence of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and psychological distress commonly reported by refugees. Purpose: We sought to determine the direction of […]
- Year Published: 2022
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Impact evaluation
The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the existing literature regarding trauma-informed education programs and their impact on academic and academic-related outcomes. The articles included for review (n=15) contained data on trauma-informed education programs implemented in preschool, primary/elementary, and high school settings. Academic and academic-related outcomes reported included attendance, disciplinary […]
- Year Published: 2021
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
Exposure to trauma during childhood is highly prevalent. This review seeks to evaluate the current state of the literature in regard to trauma-informed care within the school setting. A number of models have been put forth to describe broad trauma-informed approaches integrated within school systems, which incorporate trauma sensitive care and practices within the broader […]
- Year Published: 2020
- Direction of Evidence: Positive impact
- Strength of Evidence: Positive impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
The current review sought to describe the published literature relative to addressing trauma in schools. Through a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications as well as gray literature, we identified a total of 91 publications that were coded for study rigor as well as a number of intervention characteristics. Publications included in the review mentioned a […]
- Year Published: 2020
- Direction of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact
- Strength of Evidence: Inconclusive or mixed impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review
This review sought to examine the effects of trauma‐informed schools on trauma symptoms/mental health, academic performance, behavior, and socioemotional functioning. The rresearchers sought the most rigorous studies (experimental and quasi-experimental designs). No studies met these inclusion criteria.
- Year Published: 2019
- Direction of Evidence: No evidence about impact
- Strength of Evidence: No evidence about impact
- Type of Study: Systematic review