research
An Explanatory Framework for Understanding Mental Health Needs of Afghan Refugees Resettled in the Global North
International Journal of Psychology Volume 60, Issue 6 · Oct 3, 2025
Afghans are the second-largest refugee population in the world, yet their mental health needs are understudied. This qualitative investigation has two aims: (1) to examine the mental health beliefs of Afghan refugees in one ‘Global North’ nation who fled following the 2021 Taliban takeover and (2) to provide an example of how explanatory models might be used to support mental health care in diverse populations. Participants (N = 21) were Afghan refugees who resettled in the US after 2021 and cultural experts. We conducted semi-structured interviews to uncover the mental health belief framework of this population by exploring explanatory domains: ‘experiences of distress’, ‘causal attributions for suffering’, ‘coping strategies’ and ‘goals for wellbeing’. Also explored were ‘attitudes towards host culture treatment’. Thematic analysis revealed several key findings: emotional suffering is ubiquitous and not a target for treatment; distress is caused by specific circumstances and loss, primary coping strategies are avoidance and reliance on family, community, and faith, and primary goals are survival and functioning in valued roles. ‘Recommended clinical approaches’ for host culture practitioners that bridge provider and client models are discussed, which offer tools to develop rapport, allow for cultural adaptation and increase acceptability of treatments offered.
“They stand in the middle now”: Pathways to meeting psychological needs by adolescents who are refugees from sub-Saharan Africa.
Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology · Jul 1, 2022
This study examines a group vulnerable to challenges in adapting to U.S. culture: youth who are refugees from sub-Saharan African nations. Using information from interviews, it describes how these youth overcome significant challenges to adaptation while keeping strong ties with their home culture. They learn how to advocate for themselves, choose inclusive peer groups, and find a sense of purpose and agency by supporting others in need. These findings will be useful to educational and mental health professionals who interact with these youth.
The Effects of Group Music Therapy on Levels of Anxiety, Depression, Well-Being, Functional Disability, and Distress in Adult Congolese Refugees
SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research, Volume 5, Article 8, January 2020
Elise Hawkes, Dr. Daniel Tague
Refugees have a variety of mental health needs due to their experiences, including trauma, anxiety, and depression. Psychotherapy, one of the main modalities for treatment, presents limitations including language barriers and negative stigmas. Music therapy might help to overcome these limitations due to its reliance upon music, rather than verbal language, as the therapeutic medium, and due to music’s ubiquitous cultural prevalence. Music therapy has been shown to have positive effects on sleep quality, well- being, trauma symptoms, social function, and mood. Music therapy training and research results have demonstrated ways to connect with clients through music and overcome cross-cultural barriers. The objective of this case study was to determine the effects of group music therapy on levels of anxiety, depression, well-being, functional disability, and distress in two adult Congolese refugees. Further, the study explored the themes which the participants reported they preferred and were most likely to use on their own regarding the music interventions. A mixed-methods approach was used to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. The study involved eight weekly, one hour-long music therapy sessions following a protocol that included four themes: socialization, emotional expression, English-learning, and personalized use of music. Levels of anxiety, depression, well-being, and functional disability were assessed using psychometric tests before the first session, after the fourth session, and after the eighth session. The data found overall decreased levels of anxiety, depression, and distress, increased levels of well-being, and little change in level of functional disability. Prevalent themes from the self-report questionnaire were instrument playing, singing, listening, and the hello song. Conclusions and recommendations for future research are included.