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

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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
Peer support groups: Evaluating a culturally grounded, strengths-based approach for work with refugees.SuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Promoting posttraumatic growth among the refugee population in Spain: A community-based pilot interventionSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
A peer support and peer mentoring approach to enhancing resilience and empowerment among refugees settled in southern SpainSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Culture-Sensitive and Resource Oriented Peer (CROP)-Groups as a community based intervention for trauma survivors: A randomized controlled pilot study with refugees and asylum seekers from ChechnyaModerateImpact evaluationPositive impact
Evaluating a multiple-family group access intervention for refugees with PTSDModerateImpact evaluationPositive impact
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
A pilot cognitive behavior therapy group intervention to address coping with discrimination among HIV-positive Latino immigrant sexual minority menSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive 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
Telehealth Interventions Delivering Home-Based Support Group Videoconferencing: Systematic ReviewStrongSystematic reviewPositive impact
Peer Support Groups: Evaluating a Culturally Grounded, Strengths-Based Approach for Work with RefugeesSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Promoting Posttraumatic Growth Among the Refugee Population in Spain: A Community-Based Pilot InterventionSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
A Peer Support and Peer Mentoring Approach to Enhancing Resilience and Empowerment Among Refugees Settled in Southern SpainSuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Culture-Sensitive and Resource Oriented Peer (CROP)-Groups as a Community Based Intervention for Trauma Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study with Refugees and Asylum Seekers from ChechnyaModerateImpact evaluationPositive impact
The TAFES Multi-Family Group Intervention for Kosovar Refugees: A Feasibility StudySuggestiveSuggestive evidencePositive impact
Evaluating a Multiple-Family Group Access Intervention for Refugees with PTSDModerateImpact evaluationPositive 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 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.