Main objective
The pilots main aim is to explore the feasibility and usefulness of mental health assessment in newly arrived refugees from the Ukraine, and additionally explore attitudes to mental health and mental health assessment in this population. Our sub aims are:
Subsidiary objectives
- Test if a venue-based design is an effective recruitment strategy in newly arrived refugees. We will assess if this method, in which the researcher is in proximity and easily assessable over time, can secure an adequate participation in a refugee population: a group that often has low participation in mental health research.
- Explore beliefs and attitudes towards talking about and assessing mental health in newly arrived refugees from the Ukraine. We will assess mental health literacy in this group and explore if they view mental health assessment as relevant in an early phase, are comfortable using internet-based assessment methods and if they have unmet mental health needs.
- Explore how refugee parents from the Ukraine feel about mental health assessment of their children in an early phase of arrival and collect their opinions about a newly developed mental health assessment instrument designed for refugee children and adolescents.
Method
This is an observational cross-sectional study of an adult refugee population from Ukraine residing at a reception center in Norway. Quantitative data will be collected through a structured survey, and qualitative data through semi-structured focus group method. Inclusion criteria are newly arrived (< 3 months) adult (< 18 years) refugees from Ukraine residing at a Norwegian reception center. For the online survey we will include participants who have resided in Norway for up to one year.
The study is ongoing and planned to be finished by February 2023.
Further information