Feasibility and acceptability of Problem Management Plus (PM+) among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland: a mixed-method pilot randomised controlled trial.

Author(s) : Julia Spaaij, Nikolai Kiselev, Christine Berger, Richard A Bryant, Pim Cuijpers, Anne M de Graaf, Daniela C Fuhr, Mahmoud Hemmo, David McDaid, Hanspeter Moergeli, A-La Park, Monique C Pfaltz, Matthis Schick, Ulrich Schnyder, Anna Wenger, Marit Sijbrandij, Naser Morina, Consortium STRENGTHS

Source : https://researchonline.lshtm.ac.uk/id/eprint/4663462

“BACKGROUND: Syrian refugees in Switzerland face several barriers in accessing mental health care. Cost-effective psychological interventions are urgently needed to meet the mental health needs of refugees. Problem Management Plus (PM+) is an evidence-based, psychological intervention delivered by trained non-specialist “helpers”. OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility and acceptability of PM+ among Syrian refugees in Switzerland. METHODS: We conducted a single-blind pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) with Syrian refugees impaired by psychological distress (K10 > 15 and WHODAS 2.0 > 16). Participants were randomized to PM+ or Enhanced Treatment As Usual (ETAU). Participants were assessed at baseline, and 1 week and 3 months after the intervention, and completed measures indexing mental health problems and health care usage. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with different stakeholders. RESULTS: N=59 individuals were randomized into PM+ (n=31) or ETAU (n=28). N=18 stakeholders were interviewed about facilitators and barriers for the implementation of PM+. Retention rates in the trial (67.8 %) and mean intervention attendance (M=3.94 sessions, SD=1.97) were high. No severe events related to the study were reported. These findings indicate that the trial procedures and PM+ were feasible, acceptable and safe. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the conduct of a definitive RCT and show that PM+ might have the potential to be scaled-up in Switzerland. The importance, as well as the challenges, of implementing and scaling-up PM+ in high-income countries, such as Switzerland, are discussed.”