Mental health of refugees and asylum seekers in times of the Covid-19 pandemic. Scoping review.

Details

Supervisors

Nicaise, Pablo

Faculty

Faculté de santé publique

Degree label

Master [120] en sciences de la santé publique, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

Background: Refugees and asylum seekers are a vulnerable population in relation with the stressors and challenges they have to overcome during the pre-, trans-, and post- migration period. These conditions may have a strong impact on their physical and mental health. Therefore, these population have been at high risk in facing the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of this scoping review was to summarize the empirical evidence and to identify knowledge gaps concerning to the main mental health problems of refugees and asylum seekers in times of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods: A scoping review methodology was chosen. The electronic databases: PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Embase, and PsycInfo were searched for relevant articles published in English. 22 articles were included in the scoping review. We classified the obtained data in tabular form and performed a narrative synthesis of the key findings regarding the mental conditions of refugees and asylum seekers in the pandemic period as well as the actions and interventions that were set up to face these conditions. Results: Studies show a significant deterioration in mental health of refugees and asylum seekers in times of the Covid-19 pandemic compared to pre-pandemic times. The main mental health disorders identified were PTSD, anxiety, stress, and depression. Fear and worry were directly related to anxiety disorder. Specific socio-demographic characteristics were more strongly associated to mental health problems during the pandemic. One of the important factors in the survival of the vulnerable population is their resilience. Actions taken to develop resilience can be considered as analogous to those that promote mental health. The main knowledge gaps identified were the lack of data from low-middle income countries and lack of data on the community interventions implemented to promote mental health of refugees and asylum seekers in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as some methodological issues. Conclusion: The result of the study indicates that to promote mental health of refugees and asylum seekers in times of the Covid-19 pandemic, a coordinated action is needed in accordance with the social-ecological model at all levels with political, social, economic, scientific, and cultural actions.