A qualitative process evaluation of group problem management plus for distressed Syrian refugees in Türkiye
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7148909 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ayşenur Coşkun-Toker (0000-0002-6525-8059, Koç University), Zeynep İlkkurşun (0000-0001-6691-1809, Koç University), Daniela C Fuhr (0000-0001-9020-4629, University of Bremen), Bayard Roberts (0000-0003-4482-5859, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine), Pim Cuijpers (0000-0001-5497-2743, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Marit Sijbrandij (0000-0001-5430-9810, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Ceren Acarturk (0000-0002-5443-6868) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Pages | e87-e87 |
| Publication date | 2025-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Cambridge Prisms Global Mental Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2054-4251 • E-ISSN: 2054-4251 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/gmh.2025.10035 |
| PMID | 40809791 |
| OpenAlex | W4413088050 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 29 |
Syrian refugees in Türkiye show a high prevalence of mental health problems but encounter barriers to accessing mental health services. Group Problem Management Plus (gPM+), developed by the World Health Organization, is a low-intensity psychological intervention delivered by nonspecialist facilitators. This qualitative process evaluation explores the acceptability, feasibility and perceived effectiveness of gPM+ for Syrian refugees resettled in Türkiye, as well as facilitating factors and barriers to its implementation. Twenty-three semi-structured interviews were conducted with gPM+ participants, facilitators, drop-outs, relatives of participants and key informants. Findings showed that gPM+ was well-received for its group-based format, which participants felt fostered social support, and for its content, which they reported may have led to improvements in coping skills and family relationships. Facilitators viewed the intervention as feasible to implement. However, barriers such as participants’ economic struggles, practical challenges (e.g., childcare and transportation difficulties) and low mental health literacy impeded engagement. Adapting gPM+ to address social determinants like poverty may be beneficial. The need for booster sessions was emphasized to maintain long-term change and provide deeper learning of the strategies. For sustainable scaling up gPM+ within primary health care, key informants highlighted the importance of training and supervising nonprofessional facilitators and securing governmental support
Operating system · Political science · Process management · Refugee · Syrian refugees · Computer Science · Education and experiences of immigrants and refugees · Engineering · Families in Therapy and Culture · Psychology
Prevalence and Predictors of Posttraumatic Stress and Depression Symptoms Among Syrian Refugees in a Refugee Camp
Problem Management Plus (PM+)
Psychiatric Disorders in Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons After Forced Displacement
Perceptions of mental health and perceived barriers to mental health help-seeking amongst refugees
Interventions for Depression Symptoms Among Adolescent Survivors of War and Displacement in Northern Uganda
The mental health of civilians displaced by armed conflict
Using the framework method for the analysis of qualitative data in multi-disciplinary health research
Process evaluation of complex interventions
Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (Coreq)
The impact of employment programs on common mental disorders
Scaling up task-sharing psychological interventions for refugees in Jordan
Process evaluations of mental health and psychosocial support interventions for populations affected by humanitarian crises
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |