List of publications
2025
Coşkun-Toker, A., İlkkurşun, Z., Fuhr, D., Roberts, B., Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., & Acarturk, C. (2025). A qualitative process evaluation of group problem management plus for distressed Syrian refugees in Türkiye. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 12, e87. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2025.10035
Sijbrandij, M., de Graaff, A. M., Cadorin, C., Twisk, J. W., Elsawy, M., Ramia, J. A., ... & STRENGTHS Consortium. World Health Organization's Scalable Psychological Interventions for Syrian Refugees: An Individual Participant Data Meta-Analysis of Problem Management Plus and Step-by-Step. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5191106
2024
Abi Hana, R., Abi Ramia, J., Burchert, S., Carswell, K., Cuijpers, P., Heim, E., ... & Smit, F. (2024). Cost-Effectiveness of Digital Mental Health Versus Usual Care During Humanitarian Crises in Lebanon: Pragmatic Randomized Trial. JMIR Mental Health, 11(1), e55544. https://doi.org/10.2196/55544
Ali, R., Brown, F. L., Stevenson, K., Jordans, M., Taha, K., Amine, M. E., … & STRENGTHS Consortium. (2024). Implementing a Non-Specialist Delivered Psychological Intervention for Young Adolescents in a Protracted Refugee Setting: a Qualitative Process Evaluation in Lebanon. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 51(3), 377-394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11414-023-09870-3
Burchert, S., Alkneme, M. S., Alsaod, A., Cuijpers, P., Heim, E., Hessling, J., … & STRENGTHS Consortium. (2024). Effects of a self-guided digital mental health self-help intervention for Syrian refugees in Egypt: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS medicine, 21(9), e1004460. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1004460
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Boschloo, L., Elsawy, M., Hunaidy, S., Seedat, S., … & Sijbrandij, M. (2024). The associations of hair cortisol and DHEA with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in refugees. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 129, 152438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152438
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Elsawy, M., Hunaidy, S., Kieft, B., Gorgis, N., ... & Sijbrandij, M. (2024). The effectiveness of Problem Management Plus at 1-year follow-up for Syrian refugees in a high-income setting. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 33, e50. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796024000519
Schoenberger, S. F., Schönenberg, K., Fuhr, D. C., Nesterko, Y., Glaesmer, H., Sondorp, E., … & Roberts, B. (2024). Mental healthcare access among resettled Syrian refugees in Leipzig, Germany. Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health, 11, e25. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2024.16
Woodward, A., Fuhr, D., Barry, A.S, Balabanova, D., Sondorp, E., Dieleman, M.A., Pratley, P., Schoenberger, S., McKee, M., B., Sijbrandij, M., Cuijpers, P., Roberts, B. (2024). Health system responsiveness to the mental health needs of Syrian refugees: mixed-methods rapid appraisals in eight host countries in Europe and the Middle East. Open Research Europe, 3, 14. https://doi.org/10.12688/openreseurope.15293.2
2023
Brown, F. L., Taha, K., Steen, F., Kane, J., Gillman, A., Aoun, M., … & Jordans, M. J. (2023). Feasibility randomised controlled trial of the Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions psychological intervention with young adolescents in Lebanon. BMC psychiatry, 23(1), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-023-04571-9
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Twisk, J. W. R., Kieft, B., Hunaidy, S., Elsawy, M., … & Sijbrandij, M. on behalf of the STRENGTHS consortium. (2023). Peer-provided psychological intervention for Syrian refugees: results of a randomised controlled trial on the effectiveness of Problem Management Plus. BMJ Mental Health, 26, 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjment-2022-300637
Spaaij, J., Fuhr, D. C., Akhtar, A., Casanova, L., Klein, T., Schick, M., … & Morina, N. (2023). Scaling-up problem management plus for refugees in Switzerland-a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 488. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09491-8
Woodward, A., Burchert, S., Barry, A. S., Broerse, J. E., Sondorp, E., Bold, A., … & Dieleman, M. A. (2023). Scalability of digital psychological innovations for refugees: A comparative analysis in Egypt, Germany, and Sweden. SSM-Mental Health, 100231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2023.100231
Woodward, A., Sondorp, E., Barry, A.S, Dieleman, M.A., Fuhr, D., Broerse, J.E.W, Akhtar, A. Awwad, M., Bawaneh, A., Bryant, R., Sijbrandij, M., Cuijpers, P., Roberts, B. (2023). Scaling up task-sharing psychological interventions for refugees in Jordan: a qualitative study on the potential barriers and facilitators, Health Policy and Planning, czad003. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapol/czad003
2022
Acarturk, C., Uygun, E., Ilkkursun, Z., Yurtbakan, T., Kurt, G., Adam-Troian, J., … & Fuhr, D. C.(2022). Group problem management plus (PM+) to decrease psychological distress among Syrian refugees in Turkey: a pilot randomised controlled trial. BMC psychiatry, 22(1), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-021-03645-w
Akhtar, A., Koyiet, P., Rahman, A., Schafer, A., Hamdani, S. U., Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., & Bryant, R. A. (2022). Residual posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms after provision of brief behavioral intervention in low- and middle-income countries: An individual-patient data meta-analysis. Depress Anxiety, 39(1), 71-82. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23221
Bryant, R., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Al-Hayek, H., Giardinelli, L., Whitney, C., . . . Akhtar, A. (2022). Twelve-month follow-up of a randomised clinical trial of a brief group psychological intervention for common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in Jordan. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 31, E81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100171
Bryant, R. A., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Al-Hayek, H., Giardinelli, L., Whitney, C., … & STRENGTHS Consortium. (2022). Effectiveness of a brief group behavioral intervention for common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in Jordan: A randomized controlled trial. Plos Medicine, 19(3), e1003949. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003949
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Acarturk, C., Akhtar, A., Alkneme, M. S., Aoun, M., … & Sijbrandij, M. (2022). Scalable psychological interventions for Syrian refugees in Europe and the Middle East: STRENGTHS study protocol for a prospective individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ Open, 12(4), e058101. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-058101
Spaaij, J., Kiselev, N., Berger, C., Bryant, R. A., Cuijpers, P., De Graaff, A. M., … & Morina, N. (2022). Feasibility and acceptability of Problem Management Plus (PM+) among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland: a mixed-method pilot randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(1), 2002027. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.2002027
Woodward, A., de Graaff, A. M., Dieleman, M. A., Roberts, B., Fuhr, D. C., Broerse, J. E., … & Sondorp, E. (2022). Scalability of a task-sharing psychological intervention for refugees: A qualitative study in the Netherlands. SSM-Mental Health, 100171. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssmmh.2022.100171
2021
Drescher, A., Kiselev, N., Akhtar, A., Acarturk, C., Bryant, R. A., Ilkkursun, Z., … & Morina, N. (2021). Problems after flight: understanding and comparing Syrians’ perspectives in the Middle East and Europe. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10498-1
Akhtar, A., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Al-Hayek, H., Sijbrandij, M., Cuijpers, P., & Bryant, R. A. (2021). A longitudinal study of mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Syrian refugees. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1991651. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1991651
Akhtar, A., Engels, M. H., Bawaneh, A., Bird, M., Bryant, R., Cuijpers, P., … & STRENGTHS Consortium. (2021). Cultural Adaptation of a Low-Intensity Group Psychological Intervention for Syrian Refugees. Intervention, 19(1), 48-57. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4103/INTV.INTV_38_20
Akhtar, A., Cuijpers, P., Morina, N., Sijbrandij, M., & Bryant, R. (2021). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis of the 12-item Arabic World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule (WHODAS 2.0) as a screening tool for Syrian refugees. BJPsych Open, 7(6), e190. https://doi.org/doi:10.1192/bjo.2021.1017
Akhtar, A., Giardinelli, L., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Al-Hayek, H., Whitney, C., … & Bryant, R. (2021). Feasibility trial of a scalable transdiagnostic group psychological intervention for Syrians residing in a refugee camp. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1932295. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1932295
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Leeflang, M., Sferra, I., Uppendahl, J. R., de Vries, R., & Sijbrandij, M. (2021). A systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy studies of self-report screening instruments for common mental disorders in Arabic-speaking adults. Global Mental Health, 8, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2021.39
Woodward, A., Dieleman, M. A., Sondorp, E., Roberts, B., Fuhr, D. C., Ventevogel, P., … & Broerse, J. E. (2021). A System Innovation Perspective on the Potential for Scaling Up New Psychological Interventions for Refugees. Intervention, 19(1), 23-26. https://doi.org/10.4103/INTV.INTV_29_20
2020
Acarturk, C., McGrath, M., Roberts, B., Ilkkursun, Z., Cuijpers, P., Sijbrandij, M., … & Fuhr, D. C. (2020). Prevalence and predictors of common mental disorders among Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey: a cross-sectional study. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 56, 475-484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-020-01941-6
Akhtar, A., Giardinelli, L., Bawaneh, A., Awwad, M., Naser, H., Whitney, C., … & Bryant, R. A. (2020). Group problem management plus (gPM+) in the treatment of common mental disorders in Syrian refugees in a Jordanian camp: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. BMC Public Health, 20(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-020-08463-5
Brown, F. L., Aoun, M., Taha, K., Steen, F., Hansen, P., Bird, M., … & Jordans, M. J. (2020). The cultural and contextual adaptation process of an intervention to reduce psychological distress in young adolescents living in Lebanon. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 212. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00212
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., Acarturk, C., Bryant, R., Burchert, S., Fuhr, D. C., … & Sijbrandij, M. (2020). Effectiveness of a peer-refugee delivered psychological intervention to reduce psychological distress among adult Syrian refugees in the Netherlands: study protocol. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1694347. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2019.1694347
de Graaff, A. M., Cuijpers, P., McDaid, D., Park, A., Woodward, A., Bryant, R. A., … & Sijbrandij, M. (2020). Peer-provided Problem Management Plus (PM+) for adult Syrian refugees: a pilot randomised controlled trial on effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29, E162. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796020000724
Drescher, A., Kiselev, N., Akhtar, A., Acarturk, C., Bryant, R., Ilkkursun, Z., … & Morina, N. (2020). Problems After Flight: Understanding and Comparing Syrians’ Perspectives in the Middle East and Europe. BMC Public Health, 21(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10498-1
Fuhr, D. C., Acarturk, C., McGrath, M., Ilkkursun, Z., Sondorp, E., Sijbrandij, M., … & Roberts, B. (2020). Treatment gap and mental health service use among Syrian refugees in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul: a cross-sectional survey. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29, E70. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000660
Fuhr, D. C., Acarturk, C., Sijbrandij, M., Brown, F. L., Jordans, M. J., Woodward, A., … & Roberts, B. (2020). Planning the scale up of brief psychological interventions using theory of change. BMC Health Services Research, 20, 801. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-020-05677-6
Fuhr, D. C., Acarturk, C., Uygun, E., McGrath, M., Ilkkursun, Z., Kaykha, S., … & Roberts, B. (2020). Pathways towards scaling up problem management plus in Turkey: a theory of change workshop. Conflict and Health, 14(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13031-020-00278-w
Fuhr, D. C., Roberts, B., Woodward, A., Sondorp, E., Sijbrandij, M., De Graaff, A., & Balabanova, D. (2020). Health System Responsiveness to the Mental Health Needs of Forcibly Displaced Persons. In Health Policy and Systems Responses to Forced Migration (pp. 213-234). Springer International Publishing AG. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33812-1_12
Kiselev, N., Morina, N., Schick, M., Watzke, B., Schnyder, U., & Pfaltz, M. C. (2020). Barriers to access to outpatient mental health care for refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland: the therapist’s view. BMC psychiatry, 20, 378. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02783-x
Kiselev, N., Pfaltz, M., Haas, F., Schick, M., Kappen, M., Sijbrandij, M., … & Morina, N. (2020). Structural and socio-cultural barriers to accessing mental healthcare among Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1717825. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1717825
Kiselev, N., Pfaltz, M., Schick, M., Bird, M., Pernille, H., Sijbrandij, M., … & Morina, N. (2020). Problems faced by Syrian refugees and asylum seekers in Switzerland. Swiss Medical Weekly, 150:w20381. https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2020.20381
Morina, N., Drescher, A., Akhtar, A., Spaaij, J., & Kiselev, N. (2020). Understanding and comparison of self-reported problems of Syrian refugees in three countries. European Journal of Public Health, 30(Supplement_5), ckaa165-624. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckaa165.624
Uygun, E., Ilkkursun, Z., Sijbrandij, M., Aker, A. T., Bryant, R., Cuijpers, P., … & Acarturk, C. (2020). Protocol for a randomized controlled trial: peer-to-peer Group Problem Management Plus (PM+) for adult Syrian refugees in Turkey. Trials, 21(1), 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-020-4166-x
Wen, K., McGrath, M., Acarturk, C., Ilkkursun, Z., Fuhr, D. C., Sondorp, E., … & Roberts, B. (2020). Post-traumatic growth and its predictors among Syrian refugees in Istanbul: a mental health population survey. Journal of Migration and Health, 1, 100010. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmh.2020.100010
2019
Brown, F. L., Steen, F., Taha, K., Aoun, M., Bryant, R. A. , Jordans, M. J. D., Malik, A., van Ommeren, M., Abualhaija, A., Aqel, I. S., Ghatasheh, M., Habashneh, R., Sijbrandij, M., El Chammay, R., Watts, S., Akhtar, A.; STRENGTHS-consortium (2019). Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE) intervention for the treatment of psychological distress in adolescents: study protocol for randomised controlled trials in Lebanon and Jordan. Trials, 2;20(1):545. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-019-3654-3
Burchert, S., Alkneme, M. S., Bird, M., Carswell, K., Cuijpers, P., Hansen, P., … & Knaevelsrud, C. (2019). Usercentered app adaptation of a low-intensity e-mental health intervention for Syrian refugees. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 663. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00663
Dawson, K. S., Watts, S., Carswell, K., Harper Shehadeh, M., Jordans, M. J. D., Bryant, R., Miller, K. E., Malik, A., Brown, F. L., Servili, C., van Ommeren, M. (2019). Improving access to effective psychological interventions for young adolescents: Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE). World Psychiatry, 18, 105-107. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20594
Fuhr, D. C., Acarturk, C., McGrath, M., Ilkkursun, Z., Sondorp, E., Sijbrandij, M., Ventevogel, P., Cuijpers, P., McKee, M., & Roberts, B. (2019). Treatment gap and mental health service use among Syrian refugees in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul: a cross-sectional survey. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 29:e70. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2045796019000660.
Kiselev, N., Morina, N., Schick, M., Watzke, B., Schnyder, U., & Pfaltz, M. (2019). Current Situation and Admission Barriers in Outpatient Mental Health Care for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Switzerland: The Therapists’ View, European Journal of Psychotraumatology (Vol. 10). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02783-x
2017
Sijbrandij, M., Acarturk, C., Bird, M., Bryant, R. A., Burchert, S., Carswell, K., ... & Cuijpers, P. (2017). Strengthening mental health care systems for Syrian refugees in Europe and the Middle East: integrating scalable psychological interventions in eight countries. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(sup2), 1388102. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1388102
List of reports
Below is an Excel tool which provides models for each of the iPM+, gPM+, and SbS and EASE interventions in each of their different country contexts. It is based on preliminary results from STRENGTHS.
A welcome page provides some brief background on the tool. Two options are then possible: clicking on a link to download a brief version of a manual with instructions on how to use the tool or alternatively clicking on the link to ‘proceed to the interventions menu’. Most of the cells of the tool are protected, but interventions examined, countries of implementation, and many specific parameters can be varied for each of the four models in the tool.
Please note that the tool is still being developed and will be updated as more data becomes available. At this stage, it is not to be used for informing policy decisions.
Please click on the following link to access the document: STRENGTHS modelling tool.
These documents reflect only the authors’ views and the European Commission is not responsible for any use of the information they contain.
