This paper explores the theoretical and analytic possibilities of the concept of gharīb to offer a new understanding of regional displacement in what we know as the modern Middle East. The concept of gharīb (pl. ghurabāʾ) has accrued a wide range of meanings across time and space, including stranger, outcast, and exile, as well as pauper. By occupying the space between estrangement and poverty, the gharīb allows for an intersectional understanding of inequality, experienced by a growing number of marginalized and displaced communities in the Middle East. This paper honors the gharīb while making an analytic shift away from the category of the “refugee,” which has long been the dominant framework for personhood in the study of displacement. Combining genealogical analysis of the word gharīb with ethnographic accounts of displaced and impoverished communities in post-2011 Lebanon, I argue that legal binaries such as refugee versus citizen, and internal versus external displacement, have been further blurred against the backdrop of ongoing and interlocking forms of structural violence, inequality, and lack of protection for marginalized groups. The right to belong, therefore, is less about citizenry and more about a mode of social and economic poverty. This is particularly the case in the margins, where the repercussions of the ongoing crises are first and foremost felt. The gharīb, in contrast to such legal binaries, can be an analytic tool that allows us to delve deeper into the complexities of belonging, futurity, and rights without falling into the traps of methodological nationalism and top-down regional demarcations.

Refugees and forced migrants are particularly susceptible to trauma-related disorders, due exposure to traumatic events before, during or after displacement. In trauma therapy, the concept of psychological stabilization refers to the improvement of a patient’s capacity to manage symptoms and emotions associated with traumatic experiences. While exposure-based therapies are widely recommended for treating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), stabilizing interventions may offer a valuable alternative, particularly given the unique challenges in refugee care. This scoping review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of stabilizing, non exposure-based interventions for traumatized refugees A systematic search identified 31 relevant studies featuring diverse interventions, settings, and outcomes. Most studies showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms compared to waitlist (six studies), treatment as usual (three studies) and pre-post analyses (nine studies), though nine studies found no difference between intervention and comparison group. Notably, two studies found the stabilizing approach less effective than the comparison group, and two reported no symptom reduction in pre-post analysis. Heterogenity among the examined interventions as well as living conditions was high and limited the generizability of the results. Further studies should take these environmental factors into consideration.

There has been an increasing number of applications from unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) in the United Kingdom in recent years. It is well-known that this population is at high-risk of developing mental health disorders, which require early detection and intervention to facilitate successful integration. This paper describes the introduction of mental health screening for unaccompanied asylum-seeking children in a National Health Service (NHS) outpatient clinic in central London. This follows the results of a two-year retrospective analysis of the health needs of the population in our clinic, which identified a high incidence of disturbance to mood and sleep. We describe the selection process for a culturally appropriate and validated screening tool, piloting the Refugee Health Screener (RHS) tool with 20 UASC in clinic, and using preliminary findings to inform a more targeted referral to community Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). We conclude that implementation of the RHS-13 is feasible for widespread mental health screening for UASC in an NHS setting, and provide suggestions for future research directions within this field.

Forcibly displaced persons (FDPs) exposed to torture and trauma require multidisciplinary therapies to address their complex needs in mental and physical health. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we explored the efficacy of models of care that integrated psychological and physical interventions for PTSD outcomes. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Web of Science databases. We performed the meta-analysis on studies with randomized controlled trials and non-randomized controlled trial designs, followed by a subgroup analysis of moderators. In all meta-analyses, a random-effects model was used with standardized mean differences to accommodate for the heterogeneity of studies and outcome measures. In a meta-analysis of a between-group analysis of 11 studies comprising 610 participants, integrated intervention showed a moderate effect size (Hedges’ g = −0.46 (95% CI −0.80 to −0.12) in reducing PTSD symptoms. The proportion of variation in observed effects reflects 82% of variation in true effects (I2 = 82%). The efficacy of transdisciplinary interventions was higher compared to multidisciplinary models. Moderator analysis found that the type of PTSD measure, format of intervention, and type of personnel providing the intervention were significant predictors of efficacy. Integrated interventions are efficacious in reducing PTSD outcomes for people with FDPs and those exposed to war trauma. Factors such as the type of integration of interventions and service delivery need to be further studied with high-quality designs and larger numbers in future studies.

This Diary written by twentieth-generation sake brewer of Futaba, Tomisawa Shūhei, from March 11, 2011 until April 21, 2011, depicts the experience of his family as they navigated the forced evacuation of their ancestral home as a result of the disastrous nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The Diary is translated to reflect the original and only occasionally adds names or descriptions for clarity.

In a time of unprecedented displacement, hostility toward refugees is widespread. Two common strategies refugee advocates pursue to counter hostility and promote inclusion are perspective-getting exercises and providing information that corrects misperceptions. In this study, we evaluate whether these strategies are effective across four outcomes commonly used to measure outgroup inclusion: warmth toward refugees, policy preferences, behavior, and beliefs about a common misperception concerning refugees. Using three studies with nearly 15,000 Americans, we find that information and perspective-getting affect different outcomes. We show that combining both interventions produces an additive effect on all outcomes, that neither strategy enhances the other, but that bundling the strategies may prevent backfire effects. Our results underscore the promise and limits of both strategies for promoting inclusion.

Providing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support interventions (MHPSS) for forcibly displaced Ukrainians in Central and Eastern Europe poses numerous challenges due to various socio-cultural and infrastructural factors. This qualitative study explored implementation barriers reported by service providers of in-person and digital MHPSS for Ukrainian refugees displaced to Poland, Romania and Slovakia due to the war. In addition, the study aimed to generate recommendations to overcome these barriers. Semi-structured Free List and Key Informant interviews were conducted using the Design, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation protocol with 18 and 13 service providers, respectively. For in-person interventions, barriers included stigma, language, shortage of MHPSS providers, lack of financial aid and general lack of trust among refugees. For digital MHPSS, barriers included generational obstacles, lack of therapeutic relationships, trust issues, and lack of awareness. Recommendations included advancing public health strategies, organizational interventions, building technical literacy and support, enhancing the credibility of digital interventions and incorporating MHPSS into usual practice. By implementing the recommendations proposed in this study, policymakers, organizations and service providers can work towards enhancing the delivery of MHPSS and addressing the mental health needs of Ukrainian refugees in host countries, such as Poland, Romania and Slovakia.

Evidence on the effectiveness and implementation of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) interventions for men in humanitarian settings is limited. Moreover, engagement and retention of men in such interventions has been challenging. Adaptations may therefore be required to improve the appropriateness and acceptability of these interventions for men. This study conducted formative research and examined the feasibility of combining an MHPSS intervention, Self-Help Plus, with a brief intervention to reduce harmful alcohol use among refugee men in Uganda. We conducted a cluster randomized feasibility trial comparing the combined alcohol intervention and Self-Help Plus, Self-Help Plus alone and enhanced usual care. Participants were 168 South Sudanese refugee men in Rhino Settlement who reported moderate or high levels of psychological distress. Session attendance was adequate: all sessions had at least 69% of participants present. Participant outcome measures, including symptoms of psychological distress, functional impairment, self-defined problems, depressive symptoms, post-traumatic stress symptoms, overall substance use risk, substance specific risk (alcohol, cannabis, stimulants and sedatives) and well-being, were sensitive to change. A combined approach to addressing mental health and alcohol use appears feasible among men in refugee settings, but further research is needed to examine the effectiveness of combined interventions among men.

This article is a response to Christians in public and private life who favor policies, employ rhetoric, and view migrants in ways that contravene their faith traditions. Speaking primarily from the perspective of Christian migrant-serving, faith-based organizations in the United States, the author examines their challenges, sources of consolation, and understanding of migrants in light of their work and religious touchstones in an era of political polarization and unprecedented forced displacement. He outlines an inclusive path forward, rooted in a commitment to the common good, to solidarity with the displaced, and to a deeper understanding of the hopes, aspirations, and gifts of migrants.