Refugees face immense challenges—often carrying the mental scars of conflict, displacement, and hardship.
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Many seek asylum in places like Sweden, but their mental health struggles often go unaddressed, with over 20% experiencing significant mental illness. However, traditional psychiatric approaches don’t always resonate, as many are reluctant to share traumatic experiences or seek help.
Our study explored a new way to promote well-being among refugees through Anthropedia’s Well-Being Coaching and Stress-Reducing Activities programs. These interventions take a holistic approach, targeting not only mental health but also physical and social well-being. Combining mind-body techniques, they provide individuals with tools to improve self-awareness, build resilience, and nurture mental health.
What Did We Do?
We enrolled 70 Syrian refugees living in Sweden, randomly assigning them to either Well-Being Coaching, Stress-Reducing Activities, or a combination of both for six months. Each participant attended weekly sessions where they engaged in activities designed to improve mental and physical health. The Well-Being Coaching sessions encouraged self-reflection, goal-setting, and resilience through practices inspired by cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness. Meanwhile, the Stress-Reducing Activities focused on physical relaxation through therapies like infrared light, bright light exposure, and stress-reducing exercises. Throughout the program, we measured each participant’s personality traits, well-being, and ill-being to see how these interventions impacted their outlook on life and mental health.
What Did We Discover?
Our findings showed promising results across all groups:
- Well-Being Coaching: Participants who engaged in this intervention displayed significant improvements in self-directedness and cooperativeness—traits that help individuals take charge of their lives and work collaboratively. They also reported a rise in positive emotions and life satisfaction, as well as a reduction in feelings of defeat.
- Stress-Reducing Activities: This intervention notably reduced anxiety and negative affect. Participants also saw a decrease in harmful avoidance behaviors, reward dependency, and a greater sense of emotional balance.
- Combined Mind–Body Program: The group receiving both interventions experienced the most significant improvements. They showed reduced anxiety, depression, and feelings of defeat and entrapment, along with enhanced resilience and self-directedness.
Why Does This Matter?
This study offers a new, person-centered approach for supporting the mental health of refugees. By addressing not only the mind but also the body, these interventions provide individuals with practical ways to improve their well-being. Such an approach recognizes the complexity of mental health and offers refugees accessible tools to help them manage stress and adapt to new challenges.
Moving Forward
The positive outcomes from this pilot study encourage further exploration into mind-body interventions for at-risk populations. As the world faces ongoing displacement crises, holistic approaches like Well-Being Coaching and Stress-Reducing Activities could serve as accessible, culturally sensitive methods to support refugees and promote mental health resilience.
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The Article
Cloninger, K. M., Granjard, A., Lester, N., Lindskär, E., Rosenberg, P., Cloninger, C. R., & Garcia, D. (2019). A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study Using Mind-Body Interventions among Refugees in Sweden. International Journal of Person Centered Medicine, 9(3), 19-34.