First name
Changwei
Last name
Li

Title

Culturally-Appropriate Orientation Increases the Effectiveness of Mental Health First Aid Training for Bhutanese Refugees: Results from a Multi-state Program Evaluation.

Year of Publication

2020

Date Published

2020 Feb 22

ISSN Number

1557-1920

Abstract

<p>Poor mental health remains a significant source of morbidity and mortality in the Bhutanese refugee community. Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is a promising intervention that has been used in other immigrant communities to prepare individuals to recognize and respond to mental health warning signs. This was a non-randomized program evaluation. Using pre- and post-training questionnaires developed for prior evaluations of MHFA, we examined the effectiveness of training offered with and without culturally-appropriate orientation to mental health terminology and concepts (N = 458). Pre- to post-training improvement in ability to recognize schizophrenia, ability to respond to schizophrenia and depression, and the overall mental health literacy was greater for Bhutanese refugees who attended orientation relative to other participants (P &lt; 0.05). In scaling up MHFA training for other immigrant communities, we recommend developing and systematically evaluating culturally-appropriate orientation materials that introduce mental health vocabulary and contextualize mental health concepts.</p>

DOI

10.1007/s10903-020-00986-8

Alternate Title

J Immigr Minor Health

PMID

32088846

Title

Mental health first aid training for the Bhutanese refugee community in the United States.

Year of Publication

2015

Number of Pages

20

Date Published

2015

ISSN Number

1752-4458

Abstract

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for Bhutanese refugee community leaders in the U.S. We hypothesized that training refugee leaders would improve knowledge of mental health problems and treatment process and decrease negative attitudes towards people with mental illness.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>One hundred and twenty community leaders participated in MHFA training, of whom 58 had sufficient English proficiency to complete pre- and post-tests. The questionnaires assessed each participant's ability to recognize signs of depression, knowledge about professional help and treatment, and attitudes towards people with mental illness.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Between the pre- and post-test, participants showed significant improvement in the recognition of symptoms of depression and expressed beliefs about treatment that became more concordant with those of mental health professionals. However, there was no reduction in negative attitudes towards people with mental illness.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>MHFA training course is a promising program for Bhutanese refugee communities in the U.S. However, some adaptations may be necessary to ensure that MHFA training is optimized for this community.</p>

DOI

10.1186/s13033-015-0012-z

Alternate Title

Int J Ment Health Syst

PMID

25987894

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