Task Sharing and Remote Delivery of Brief Interpersonal Counseling for Venezuelan Migrants and Refugees Living in Peru during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

M. Claire Greene (), Mayra Muro, Jeremy C. Kane, Erin Young, Alejandra Paniagua-Avila, Lucy Miller-Suchet, Maria Nouel, Annie G. Bonz, Maria Cristobal, Matthew Schojan, Peter Ventevogel, Bryan Cheng, Silvia S. Martins, Jose Carlos Ponce de Leon and Helen Verdeli
Additional contact information
M. Claire Greene: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Mayra Muro: HIAS Peru, Lima 15034, Peru
Jeremy C. Kane: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Erin Young: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10026, USA
Alejandra Paniagua-Avila: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Lucy Miller-Suchet: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Maria Nouel: HIAS Peru, Lima 15034, Peru
Annie G. Bonz: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Maria Cristobal: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Matthew Schojan: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Peter Ventevogel: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland
Bryan Cheng: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10026, USA
Silvia S. Martins: Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Jose Carlos Ponce de Leon: HIAS Peru, Lima 15034, Peru
Helen Verdeli: Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY 10026, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 2, 1-20

Abstract: Refugees and migrants experience an elevated risk for mental health problems and face significant barriers to receiving services. Interpersonal counseling (IPC-3) is a three-session intervention that can be delivered by non-specialists to provide psychological support and facilitate referrals for individuals in need of specialized care. We piloted IPC-3 delivered remotely by eight Venezuelan refugee and migrant women living in Peru. These counselors provided IPC-3 to Venezuelan refugee and migrant clients in Peru (n = 32) who reported psychological distress. Clients completed assessments of mental health symptoms at baseline and one-month post-intervention. A subset of clients (n = 15) and providers (n = 8) completed post-implementation qualitative interviews. Results showed that IPC-3 filled a gap in the system of mental health care for refugees and migrants in Peru. Some adaptations were made to IPC-3 to promote its relevance to the population and context. Non-specialist providers developed the skills and confidence to provide IPC-3 competently. Clients displayed large reductions in symptoms of depression (d = 1.1), anxiety (d = 1.4), post-traumatic stress (d = 1.0), and functional impairment (d = 0.8). Remote delivery of IPC-3 by non-specialists appears to be a feasible, acceptable, and appropriate strategy to address gaps and improve efficiency within the mental health system and warrants testing in a fully powered effectiveness study.

Keywords: mental health and psychosocial support; interpersonal counseling; migrants and refugees (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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