After years of working with Bhutanese community members in Western Massachusetts, a team led by a University of Massachusetts Amherst researcher has developed a peer-led, family-centered preventive intervention to reduce stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and promote mental health among immigrants in the U.S.
Poudel-Tandukar, associate professor in the Elaine Marieb College of Nursing, led efforts to adapt PMP as a preventive intervention and develop the program for immigrants (PMP-I) using psychoeducation, problem-solving, behavior activation and mind-body exercise to address immigrants’ multiple stressors.
“Stress is linked with almost all diseases, and anxiety and depression,” says Poudel-Tandukar, who years ago worked with Bhutanese refugees in Nepal, where she then lived and was a clinician. “Members of this group are at high risk for mental health problems due to their exposure to multiple stressors, such as limited language and socio-cultural skills required for acculturation in a new culture. Our baseline study reported a high prevalence of depression (24.0%) and anxiety (34.2%) in this Bhutanese population. I understand their language and their culture. We are working together to address their mental health needs using problem-solving approaches, managing stress and sharing preventive strategies.”
About 90,000 Bhutanese families have been resettled in the U.S. from refugee camps in Nepal since 2008. Beginning in 2015, Poudel-Tandukar worked with Bhutanese community members resettled in Western Massachusetts in collaboration with Bhutanese community leaders.
Poudel-Tandukar started her intervention research with 44 Bhutanese immigrants, 10 of whom were then trained as community interventionists to help other refugees manage stress during a weekly social and emotional well-being program that lasted for five weeks and included 50 families.
Results from her intervention studies published in the Health and Social Care in the Community and Community Mental Health Journal were promising, showing significantly reduced rates of anxiety and depression among participants.
Poudel-Tandukar and colleagues are hopeful that the PMP-1 program they are testing will be expanded around the country to help other immigrant groups. “We plan to replicate the program and network with other refugee organizations, including Ukrainian and Afghani,” Poudel-Tandukar says.
Read more at News-Medical.net.
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