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Summary PDF: What is the impact of peer support groups on refugees’ mental health?

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   Health, Mental Health and Wellness
  • Subtopic(s)
   Behavioral Health Care
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What is the impact of peer support groups on refugees’ mental health?

Multiple sources of strong evidence indicates that peer support groups can improve newcomer mental health symptoms.

  • Three systematic reviews, as well as four additional studies, demonstrate positive outcomes from peer support groups in various newcomer populations. Such groups appear to provide a unique benefit to both participants and newcomer leaders in enhancing social connections, expanding knowledge of community resources, and generally driving improvements in mental health, acculturation, and other outcomes.
  • Many peer support groups are culturally appropriate and strengths-based. They recognize and build newcomers’ strengths, including by offering opportunities to support one another through community-based activities. Positive outcomes remained consistent across various formats and structures.


Strong evidence supports the positive effects of building social support through various other types of structured peer interactions.

  • Peer support interventions in non-group-based formats have also demonstrated positive outcomes. Peer mentorship programs can help newcomer mentors build skills while supporting newcomer mentees with integration, problem solving, and relationship building.


Emerging research indicates that online support groups are an effective alternative to in-person groups.

  • Research indicates that, although digital literacy may pose a challenge for some, online support groups are still effective across various populations. Evaluations have found similar, or better, outcomes in areas of attendance, satisfaction, and mental health symptom management.

Post TitleStrength of EvidenceType of StudyDirection of Evidence
Piloting an interactive theater program to promote intimate partner violence awareness among refugees resettled in the United StatesInconclusive or mixed impactSuggestive evidenceInconclusive or mixed impact
Protecting rural church-going immigrant women from family violenceSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
Muslim refugee women’s perspectives on intimate partner violenceSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
“Why doesn’t she seek help for partner abuse?” An exploratory study with South Asian immigrant womenSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
A culturally sensitive intervention with domestically violent Latino immigrant menPositive impactSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Coping strategies among immigrant women who have experienced intimate partner violence in North America: A narrative reviewStrongSystematic reviewN/A
Self-empowerment of immigrant Latina survivors of domestic violence: A promotora model of community leadershipPositive impactSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Interdisciplinary treatment of family violence in traumatized refugee familiesSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
Improving access to domestic violence services for women of immigrant and refugee status: A trauma-informed perspectiveSuggestiveSuggestive evidenceN/A
Intimate partner violence prevention and intervention group-format programs for immigrant Latinas: a systematic review.StrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
A pilot study of a teen dating violence prevention program with Karen refugeesSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Examining the preliminary efficacy of a dating violence prevention program for Hispanic adolescentsModerateImpact evaluationInconclusive or mixed impact
“Thank You, Sorry, Love”(TSL) Therapy With North Korean Refugee Women: A Pilot StudySuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
“En el grupo tomas conciencia (In group you become aware) Latino immigrants” satisfaction with a culturally informed intervention for men who batterSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact

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, we searched the following websites and databases using the following population, methodology, and target intervention terms:

Websites and Databases Population Terms Methodology Terms Target Problem Terms
Campbell Collaboration
Cochrane Collaboration
Mathematica Policy Research
Evidence Aid
Urban Institute
Migration Policy Institute
HHS OPRE
ASSIA
Social Services Abstracts
Social Work Abstracts
PsycInfo		 refugee
OR
immigrant
OR
“unaccompanied minor”
OR
asylee
OR
“temporary protected status”
OR
“victims of traffick*”
OR
“traffick* victims”
OR
T-Visa
OR
U-Visa
OR
Cuban
OR
Haitian
OR
Amerasian		 evaluation
OR
impact
OR
program
OR
intervention
OR
policy
OR
project
OR
train*
OR
therapy
OR
treatment
OR
counseling
OR
workshop
OR
review
OR
meta-analysis
OR
synthesis		 “intimate partner violence” OR “domestic violence” ”

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.