Self-help plus for refugees and asylum seekers; study protocol for a series of individual participant data meta-analyses

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Eirini Karyotaki - , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), University of Amsterdam, Harvard University (Author)
  • Marit Sijbrandij - , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), University of Amsterdam (Author)
  • Marianna Purgato - , University of Verona (Author)
  • Ceren Acarturk - , Koc University (Author)
  • Daniel Lakin - , Johns Hopkins University (Author)
  • Della Bailey - , University of York (Author)
  • Emily Peckham - , University of York (Author)
  • Ersin Uygun - , Istanbul Bilgi University (Author)
  • Federico Tedeschi - , University of Verona (Author)
  • Johannes Wancata - , Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Jura Augustinavicius - , Johns Hopkins University (Author)
  • Ken Carswell - , World Health Organization (Author)
  • Maritta Välimäki - , University of Turku (Author)
  • Mark van Ommeren - , World Health Organization (Author)
  • Markus Koesters - , Ulm University (Author)
  • Mariana Popa - , University of Liverpool (UOL) (Author)
  • Marx Ronald Leku - , HealthRight Uganda (Author)
  • Minna Anttila - , University of Turku (Author)
  • Rachel Churchill - , University of York (Author)
  • Ross White - , University of Liverpool (UOL) (Author)
  • Sarah Al-Hashimi - , Medical University of Vienna (Author)
  • Tella Lantta - , University of Turku (Author)
  • Teresa Au - , World Health Organization (Author)
  • Thomas Klein - , Center for Evidence-Based Healthcare, Ulm University (Author)
  • Wietse A. Tol - , Johns Hopkins University (Author)
  • Pim Cuijpers - , Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), University of Amsterdam (Author)
  • Corrado Barbui - , University of Verona (Author)

Abstract

Background: Refugees and asylum seekers face various stressors due to displacement and are especially vulnerable to common mental disorders. To effectively manage psychological distress in this population, innovative interventions are required. The World Health Organization (WHO) Self-Help Plus (SH+) intervention has shown promising outcomes in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders among refugees and asylum seekers. However, individual participant differences in response to SH+ remain largely unknown. The Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis synthesizes raw datasets of trials to provide cutting-edge evidence of outcomes that cannot be examined by conventional meta-analytic approaches. Objectives: This protocol outlines the methods of a series of IPD meta-analyses aimed at examining the effects and potential moderators of SH+ in (a) reducing depressive symptoms at post-intervention and (b) preventing the six-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers. Method: RCTs on SH+ have been identified through WHO and all authors have agreed to share the datasets of the trials. The primary outcomes of the IPD meta-analyses are (a) reduction in depressive symptoms at post-intervention, and (b) prevention of six-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders. Secondary outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, well-being, functioning, quality of life, and twelve-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders. One-stage IPD meta-analyses will be performed using mixed-effects linear/logistic regression. Missing data will be handled by multiple imputation. Conclusions: These results will enrich current knowledge about the response to SH+ and will facilitate its targeted dissemination. The results of these IPD meta-analyses will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number1930690
JournalEuropean Journal of Psychotraumatology
Volume12
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-7018-6021/work/168207933

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • asylum seekers, common mental disorders, depression, individual participant data, Refugees