Overview
Goal: The long-term goal of the proposed research program is to test the effectiveness of a preventative behavioral intervention and to scale it up for use with broader immigrant populations to reduce stress and mental health disorders.
Intervention: This study plan to adapt the World Health Organization developed Problem Management Plus (PMP), an evidence based, multi-component, behavioral intervention including breathing, problem solving, behavioral activation, and social support for immigrants.
Hypothesis: Immigrants in the Problem Management Plus for Immigrants (PMP-I) will have significantly lower levels of stress and anxious/depressive symptoms as compared to immigrants in the talk program with Community Support Service pamphlets (CSS).
Objective: The current study aims to pilot test the feasibility and acceptability of PMP-I among Bhutanese immigrants 18 years and older living in the Massachusetts.
Description
Problem Management Plus (PMP) is a low-intensity evidence-based psychological intervention developed by World Health Organization that can be delivered by trained lay people. PMP systematically teaches four strategies: stress management through breathing exercises, problem solving, behavioral activation, and skills to strengthen social support at individual level. The current study plans to adapt PMP to develop the PMP for Immigrants (PMP-I) for a family setting to address immigrant's multiple social and emotional stressors while adjusting into the new multi-cultural environment of the United States. The rationale to adapt PMP is based on our intervention model that demands integration of social and emotional stressors; promising results of PMP; strong evidence of family and community ties in health care process; and growing consensus among community, scientists, and policymakers on the need for family-based care models that are sustainable. PMP-I is a 5-week, peer-led, culturally tailored mental health promotion program that includes psychoeducation, behavioral activation, and problem solving (90 minutes/session/weekly), and breathing exercises and yoga (90 minutes/session/weekly) in a family setting. Participating families will be randomly allocated into two groups (N=116 families (232 participants: two eligible members per family); 58 families per intervention (PMP-I) and control (CSS)) with assessments at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month post-intervention with trained community facilitators in collaboration with church leaders.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- Bhutanese adult 18 years or older resettled in Massachusetts
- Have a score of 14 or below on the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)
Exclusion Criteria:
- Have a PHQ-9 score of 15 or above
- Clinically diagnosed mental health disorders
- Taking psychiatric medications for any mental health problems