Comparing Mediators and Moderators of Mental Health Outcomes from the Implementation of Group Problem Management Plus (PM+) among Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants and Colombian Returnees in Northern Colombia

Lucy Miller-Suchet (), Natalia Camargo, Manaswi Sangraula, Diany Castellar, Jennifer Diaz, Valeria Meriño, Ana Maria Chamorro Coneo, David Chávez, Marcela Venegas, Maria Cristobal, Annie G. Bonz, Camilo Ramirez, Ana Maria Trejos Herrera, Peter Ventevogel, Adam D. Brown, Matthew Schojan and M. Claire Greene
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Lucy Miller-Suchet: Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA
Natalia Camargo: Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Manaswi Sangraula: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA
Diany Castellar: HIAS Colombia, Barranquilla 080002, Colombia
Jennifer Diaz: Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Valeria Meriño: Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Ana Maria Chamorro Coneo: Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
David Chávez: HIAS Colombia, Cali 760046, Colombia
Marcela Venegas: HIAS Colombia, Bogotá 110221, Colombia
Maria Cristobal: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Annie G. Bonz: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
Camilo Ramirez: HIAS Colombia, Bogotá 110221, Colombia
Ana Maria Trejos Herrera: Department of Psychology, Universidad del Norte, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080001, Colombia
Peter Ventevogel: Public Health Section, Division of Resilience and Solutions, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, CH-1211 Geneva, Switzerland
Adam D. Brown: Trauma and Global Mental Health Laboratory, The New School for Social Research, New York, NY 10011, USA
Matthew Schojan: HIAS, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA
M. Claire Greene: Program on Forced Migration and Health, Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-18

Abstract: Colombia hosts the largest number of refugees and migrants fleeing the humanitarian emergency in Venezuela, many of whom experience high levels of displacement-related trauma and adversity. Yet, Colombian mental health services do not meet the needs of this population. Scalable, task-sharing interventions, such as Group Problem Management Plus (Group PM+), have the potential to bridge this gap by utilizing lay workers to provide the intervention. However, the current literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of how and for whom Group PM+ is most effective. This mixed methods study utilized data from a randomized effectiveness-implementation trial to examine the mediators and moderators of Group PM+ on mental health outcomes. One hundred twenty-eight migrant and refugee women in northern Colombia participated in Group PM+ delivered by trained community members. Patterns in moderation effects showed that participants in more stable, less marginalized positions improved the most. Results from linear regression models showed that Group PM+-related skill acquisition was not a significant mediator of the association between session attendance and mental health outcomes. Participants and facilitators reported additional possible mediators and community-level moderators that warrant future research. Further studies are needed to examine mediators and moderators contributing to the effectiveness of task-shared, scalable, psychological interventions in diverse contexts.

Keywords: Colombia; forced migration; Group PM+; mediators; mental health; migrants; moderators; refugees; Venezuelans (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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