Increasing Mental Health and Psychosocial Social Support for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants

Project Information

Title of Project:

Increasing Mental Health and Psychosocial Social Support for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants: Adapting Group Problem Management Plus (Group PM+) for Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants in Colombia

Sector: Venezuela Migration Response, Youth

 Country: Colombia

Lead Institution: New School for Social Research    

Co-PI Institution:  Universidad del Norte; HIAS  

Partner(s): UNHCR, Columbia University, PAHO, NYU School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Dartmouth College, MHPSS Collaborative, George Washington University, Pontifica Universidad Javeriana, University of Miami School of Medicine   

 Final Budget:  $331,606.52  

 Project Length: 24 months

 Research Objective:

 This project aims to address mental health needs among Venezuelan women at-risk for Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Colombia. This work seeks to adapt, implement, evaluate, and support the uptake, translation, and dissemination of findings of a scalable mental health and psychosocial intervention, Group Problem-Management Plus (Group PM+), to reduce psychological distress among Venezuelan women in Colombia at-risk for GBV in Barranquilla, Colombia. Group PM+ is a ‘task-sharing’, scalable, trans-diagnostic, lay-therapist delivered intervention designed to reduce psychological distress. Although a growing number of studies indicate that PM+ can effectively to reduce distress, studies have yet to adapt or evaluate Group PM+ in this cultural and geographic context. This work will be carried out in three Phases. In Phase 1 we will adapt the Group PM+ training and intervention manual to align contextually and culturally. In Phase 2 we will provide training to a cohort of Venezuelan and Colombian women with little to no background in the Group PM+ intervention. We will then provide supervision and technical support as they deliver the intervention to Venezuelan and Colombian women at-risk for GBV in which we will assess whether Group PM+ can reduce distress (measured at 5 and 12 weeks post-intervention) in this community. In the third phase we will explore scalability and sustainability of Group PM+. We will plan, participate and present at local and international dissemination meetings, including stakeholder uptake workshops, convened to promote adoption and scalability of our findings by government and non-government agencies serving Venezuelan migrants in Latin America. The findings will lead to a Group PM+ training and intervention manual, validated assessment tools, an implementation strategy, a multi-sector uptake committee, and a policy brief policy for dissemination and guidance among policy-makers  

Project Description:

The aim of the original proposed study was to adapt, implement and test the effectiveness of Group Problem Management Plus (Group PM+) in a sample of primarily Venezuelan refugee and migrant women in Colombia who are at-risk for Gender Based Violence (GBV). It is well documented that there are major barriers to mental healthcare and psychosocial support for Venezuelan refugees and women are at high risk for exposure to GBV and mental health conditions. There is an urgent need to identify and disseminate evidence-based interventions that can be scaled-up throughout the region. Recent feasibility work in Colombia indicated that individual PM+ was effective in reducing distress among internally displaced adults. Although no studies to date have examined whether Group PM+ is also feasible and effective in Colombia, there is a rapidly growing body of research reflecting the efficacy of this intervention in resource limited contexts.

This study will pilot Group PM+ for Venezuelan and Colombian women at-risk for GBV. AIM 1. To evaluate the relevance, acceptability and fidelity of lay-provider delivered Group PM+ intervention for Venezuelan and Colombian women at-risk for GBV in Colombia. Relevance and acceptability will be assessed through qualitative formative research with local experts, intervention adaptation workshops, and qualitative exit interviews with those receiving Group PM+. Fidelity will be assessed through evaluations and ongoing supervision of lay providers. AIM 2. To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating Group PM+ into NGO-delivered services (HIAS) in Colombia. Feasibility will be assessed through intervention and implementation monitoring forms, quantitative and qualitative interviews with users, providers, and other stakeholders, and implementation mapping. AIM 3. To explore the scalability and sustainability of Group PM+ across diverse protection and MHPSS agencies providing services to forced migrants affected by GBV in Colombia. Scalability and sustainability will be assessed through interviews with PM+ facilitators, HIAS staff, UN, and funding agencies, and through monitoring adoption of the intervention and implementation materials by organizations participating in the local and international uptake workshops. 

Embedded Research Translation Product: peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters, conference presentations, workshops, intervention manual, and training manual

Embedded Research Translation Audience: Mental Health Researchers, Policymakers, NGO’s, UN agencies, Healthcare Systems, Government Agencies

Click Here for Outputs