Improving Retention in Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Interventions: An Analysis of Completion Rates across a Multi-Site Trial with Refugee, Migrant, and Host Communities in Latin America

Isabella Fernández Capriles (), Andrea Armijos, Alejandra Angulo, Matthew Schojan, Milton L. Wainberg, Annie G. Bonz, Wietse A. Tol and M. Claire Greene
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Isabella Fernández Capriles: Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA
Andrea Armijos: HIAS Ecuador, Quito 170143, Ecuador
Alejandra Angulo: HIAS Panamá, Panamá City, Panamá
Matthew Schojan: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Milton L. Wainberg: Department of Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Annie G. Bonz: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Wietse A. Tol: Global Health Section, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, 1172 Copenhagen, Denmark
M. Claire Greene: Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY 10032, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 4, 1-11

Abstract: Research on mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions within refugee and migrant communities has increasingly focused on evaluating implementation, including identifying strategies to promote retention in services. This study examines the relationship between participant characteristics, study setting, and reasons for intervention noncompletion using data from the Entre Nosotras feasibility trial, a community-based MHPSS intervention targeting refugee, migrant, and host community women in Ecuador and Panama that aimed to promote psychosocial wellbeing. Among 225 enrolled women, approximately half completed the intervention, with varying completion rates and reasons for nonattendance across study sites. Participants who were older, had migrated for family reasons, had spent more time in the study community, and were living in Panamá (vs. Ecuador) were more likely to complete the intervention. The findings suggest the need to adapt MHPSS interventions to consider the duration of access to the target population and explore different delivery modalities including the role of technology and cellular devices as reliable or unreliable source for engaging with participants. Engaging younger, newly arrived women is crucial, as they showed lower completion rates. Strategies such as consulting scheduling preferences, providing on-site childcare, and integrating MHPSS interventions with other programs could enhance intervention attendance.

Keywords: MHPSS interventions; retention; completion rate; refugee and migrant communities; feasibility (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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