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Summary PDF: What are the best strategies for emergency preparedness and emergency information dissemination among resettled refugees?

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What are the best strategies for emergency preparedness and emergency information dissemination among resettled refugees?

The evidence in this area is suggestive. Within these suggestive studies, there is broad consensus on four key points related to emergency preparedness and emergency information dissemination among resettled refugees:

  • Pre-existing partnerships among refugee communities, community-based organizations (CBOs), and local emergency planners are vital.
  • People who serve as social bridges between refugee communities and governmental and community-based organizations are important conduits for emergency information dissemination.
  • Emergency messaging must be simple and consistent, delivered in refugees’ native languages and made available through multiple communication channels.
  • Refugees may meet disasters with resiliency.

 

Given the ethical and logistical challenges of conducting impact evaluation studies in disasters, the recommendations of these suggestive studies should be viewed as best practices at this time.

Post TitleStrength of EvidenceType of StudyDirection of Evidence
Peer support groups and peer mentoring in refugee adolescents and young adults: A literature reviewSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
How effective is group intervention in the treatment for unaccompanied and accompanied refugee minors with mental health difficulties: A systematic reviewStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
Intimate partner violence prevention and intervention group-format programs for immigrant Latinas: A systematic reviewStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
Implementing a psychosocial support group in U.S. refugee resettlementSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Social-capital-based mental health interventions for refugees: A systematic reviewStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
A scoping review of social support interventions with refugees in resettlement contexts: Implications for practice an applied researchStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
Effectiveness of a peer-based intervention on loneliness and social isolation of older Chinese immigrants in Canada: A randomized controlled trialModerateImpact evaluationPositive impact
Fostering resilience and belongingness among students with refugee backgroundsSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
A randomized control trial to test peer support group approach for reducing social isolation and depression among female Mexican immigrantsSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
A community-based intervention to enhance posttraumatic growth among refugees in receiving societiesSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A

Studies included in the database focused on high-income or upper middle-income countries, including but not limited to the United States. Studies included must have been published since 2000. To identify evidence related to peer support groups among refugees, we searched the following websites and databases using the following population, methodology, and target intervention terms:

Websites and Databases Population Terms Methodology Terms Target Intervention Terms
Campbell Collaboration
Cochrane Collaboration
Mathematica Policy Research
Evidence Aid
Urban Institute
Migration Policy Institute
HHS OPRE
Medline ASSIA
Social Services Abstracts
Social Work Abstracts
ReliefWeb
ALNAP
refugeeOR
“unaccompanied minor”
OR
asylee
OR
“temporary protected status”
OR
“victims of traffick*”
OR
“traffick* victims”
ORT
-Visa
OR
U-Visa
OR
Cuban
OR
Haitian
OR
Amerasian
evaluation
OR
impact
OR
program
OR
intervention
OR
policy
OR
project
OR
therapy
OR
treatment
OR
counseling
OR
workshop
OR
review
OR
meta-analysis
OR
synthesis
“support group”

For databases or websites that permitted only basic searches, free-text terms and limited term combinations were selected out of the lists above, and all resultant studies were reviewed for relevance. Conversely, for databases or websites with advanced search capability, we made use of relevant filters available. All search terms were searched in the title and abstract fields only in order to exclude studies that made only passing mention of the topic under consideration. After initial screening, Switchboard evidence mapping is prioritized as follows: First priority is given to meta-analyses and systematic reviews, followed by individual impact evaluations when no meta-analyses or systematic reviews are available. Evaluations that are rated as impact evidence are considered before those rated as suggestive, with the latter only being included for outcomes where no evidence is available from the former.