An overview of systematic reviews on mental health promotion, prevention, and treatment of common mental disorders for refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons

Abstract

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Overview). The objectives are as follows:

To map the characteristics and methodological quality of existing systematic reviews and published review protocols on the promotion of mental health and prevention and treatment of common mental disorders among refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons.

Characteristics of interest are:

• the type of systematic review (Cochrane, non‐Cochrane, meta‐analysis, narrative synthesis);

• population (refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, age, mental health diagnosis);

• setting (country of origin and study setting);

• types of studies (randomised controlled trials, other designs);

• types of interventions (promotion, prevention, treatment; CBT, other psychotherapy, transdiagnostic, medication);

• types of comparators (no treatment, placebo, waiting list, treatment as usual, other treatment);

• intervention provider (professional, lay health worker);

• review characteristics (number of included studies, review quality).

Whereas an overview of systematic reviews, would normally seek to answer questions related to the effectiveness or efficacy results of studies included in the identified reviews, this overview will provide a description of the depth and breadth of the literature available and will not answer questions of effectiveness. Data on study characteristics are extracted to give an overview of systematic reviews, ongoing or published, on this topic.

This review is part of a Cochrane Global Mental Health satellite project to identify priorities for Cochrane Reviews in global mental health. We will produce an evidence map, which will represent a lay summary of literature identified in the overview, which will provide a basis to engage with stakeholders within and outside of academia to prioritise Cochrane Reviews of mental health of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons. This will ensure that the Cochrane Global Mental Health Satellite takes forward research questions seen as a priority by stakeholders to promote a strong evidence base in global mental health.