Cognitive Behavioural Therapy: An intervention of promise for mental health consequences of racial discrimination among refugees- A narrative review.

Abstract

Background: Despite yet-unidentified eradicative measures, the poison of racism permeates the fabric of modern society, which is replete with racial discrimination. Regardless, vulnerable populations such as refugees are not impervious to its deleterious impact. While we wait for a definitive solution to racism, it is critical that an intervention be offered to mitigate the psychological effects of racial discrimination on this high-risk population. The mental health consequences of racial discrimination are well documented in the refugee population; however, there is no empirically proven intervention to mitigate its negative effects. Cognitive behavioural interventions (TF-CBT and CA-CBT) may be a novel intervention for reducing the psychological effects of racism among refugees. The purpose of this study is to determine whether CBT has the potential to mitigate the psychological effects of racial discrimination among refugees. Method: A narrative review using a systematic approach to conduct a search in the MEDLINE, PROQUEST, and PSYCHINFO databases. In total, 18 studies were critically reviewed. Findings: The findings' themes emphasize the characteristics of the ideal intervention to mitigate the mental health consequences of discrimination among refugees: multi-layered, transdiagnostic, culturally and ethnically sensitive, school-based, skill-based, and goal-oriented. Conclusion: CBT principles modified to address the positionality (social, historical, and cultural context of refugees) would produce similar results to CBT for mental health disorders caused by pre-migration trauma. Future research is needed to empirically prove CBT as the intervention of choice for reducing the mental health consequences of racism among refugees.