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Early Mental Health Screening
The circumstances that necessitate flight from one's country and the experience of resettlement can predispose refugees towards a variety of mental health challenges. The prevalence of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder is generally higher in refugee populations compared to those who are U.S.-born. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that all new refugee arrivals receive a mental health screening. However, challenges such as lack of time and lack of appropriate tools have resulted in only seven states routinely using a standardized, culturally-appropriate assessment tool to conduct a mental health screening during the Refugee Health Assessment.
It can be difficult to find a screening tool that is culturally appropriate for refugees, available in a variety of languages and can be administered quickly. The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15), by Pathways to Wellness, was developed with this in mind. The RHS-15 is a sensitive tool that is able to detect a range of emotional and somatic distress common among various refugee populations. It is available in languages spoken by resettling refugees, including Arabic, Burmese, Karen, Russian, and Nepali.
By detecting mental health issues early, the RHS-15 may ease the transition during resettlement by helping connect symptomatic refugees with services for further evaluation and treatment for behavioral and emotional problems.
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Hepatitis B Screening Update
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued a draft Recommendation Statement on Screening for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Non-Pregnant Adolescents and Adults, along with an accompanying draft Evidence Report. The USPSTF draft statement recommends screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) in persons at high risk for infection.
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North American Refugee Health Conference
The 4th Annual North American Refugee Health Conference will be held June 19-21, 2014 in Rochester, New York. The three-day event will focus on the best practices in refugee health. Lectures focus on contemporary issues in refugee health, mental health, OB/GYN, pediatrics, and primary care. Register here >
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Congolese and Somali beliefs about mental health services. (2014)
Piwowarczyk L, Bishop H, Yusuf A, Mudymba F, Raj A. J Nerv Ment Dis.
Specific Trauma Subtypes Improve the Predictive Validity of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire in Iraqi Refugees. (2014)
Arnetz BB, Broadbridge CL, Jamil H, Lumley MA, Pole N, Barkho E, Fakhouri M, Talia YR, Arnetz JE. J Immigr Minor Health.
Prevalence and Treatment of Latent Tuberculosis Infection Among Newly Arrived Refugees in San Diego County, January 2010-October 2012. (2014)
Bennett RJ, Brodine S, Waalen J, Moser K, Rodwell TC. Am J Public Health.
Combined Use of Inactivated and Oral Poliovirus Vaccines in Refugee Camps and Surrounding Communities - Kenya, December 2013. (2014) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR.
Trends in Tuberculosis - United States, 2013. (2014) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. MMWR.
View more literature >
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 Upcoming Events & Trainings
African Refugees and Immigrants: Pathways to Security, Integration and Empowerment
April 30-May 3, 2014, Arlington, Virginia
North American Refugee Health Conference
June 19-21, 2014, Rochester, NY
The National Migration Conference
July 7-10, 2014, Washington, DC
Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery Certificate Program
On-site learning: November 9-21, 2014, Orvieto, Italy
Web-based learning: December 2014-May 2015
View more events and trainings >
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 Funding Opportunities
Understanding and Promoting Health Literacy
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Due May 7, 2016. The goal of this program announcement is to encourage methodological, intervention and dissemination research for understanding and promoting health literacy.
Research to Characterize and Reduce Stigma to Improve Health
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Due September 7, 2016. Encourages research grant applications to characterize the role of stigma in health, life course development, and aging, both in the U.S. and globally, and to test interventions to prevent or reduce the impact of stigma at the individual, community, health care system, and policy levels.
Health Promotion Among Racial and Ethnic Minority Males
U.S. National Institutes of Health
Due September 7, 2016. Seeks applications to stimulate and expand research in the health of minority men to enhance understanding of the numerous factors (e.g., sociodemographic, community, societal, personal).
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RHTAC is a project of the Division of Global Populations and Infectious Disease Prevention, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Our collaborators include the Center for Refugee Trauma and Resilience at Children's Hospital Boston, the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation (PIRE), the Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, the Cultural Orientation Resource Center at the Center for Applied Linguistics, and JSI Research and Training Institute, Inc. The information contained in RHTAC newsletters does not necessarily represent the views or opinions of RHTAC's partner agencies or funders.
For more information, please email refugeehealthta@jsi.com.
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New
Resources Webinar Archive Free CME/CEC available! Tools and Strategies for Refugee Mental Health Screening: Introducing the RHS-15 Presenter: Michael Hollifield, M.D. Newsletter Archive Missed a newsletter? Catch up by visiting the archive! Community Dialogue
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