Title:
Resilience predicts emotional distress and treatment referral acceptance for refugees and asylees
Author:
Daniel P. Koster
Thesis Advisor:
Jeffrey M. Lating
Committee Member:
Matthew W. Kirkhart
Committee Member:
Amanda M. Thomas
Committee Member:
Dipti D. Shah
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2016
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
This study examined resilience as a correlate of symptoms of emotional distress and help seeking behavior following the receipt of mental health screening in a sample of 449 refugees and asylees resettled in Maryland. It was hypothesized that resilience would negatively predict both symptoms of emotional distress and likelihood to seek behavioral health services. The sample was comprised of adults who completed the Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale-2 (CD-RISC-2). Refugees and asylees who screened positive on the RHS-15 were referred for behavioral health services. However, only half of the clients who initially accepted referrals were later seen by behavioral health. Resilience was negatively correlated with symptoms of emotional distress as well as both referral acceptance and being seen by behavioral health, while RHS-15 total scores were not. However, on the distress thermometer, a measure of distress on the RHS-15 ranging from zero to ten with a score greater than or equal to five indicating a positive screen, higher scores occurred for those seen by behavioral health when compared to those not seen by behavioral health. These results suggest that in refugees and asylees, as resilience decreases, emotional distress increases. Additionally, those with lower resilience are more likely to accept and follow-up with behavioral health services. Therefore, assessing resilience is thought to be clinically advantageous because in addition to being predictive of emotional distress and treatment acceptance and enrollment, assessing resilience includes asking strengths-based questions that are likely non-stigmatizing. Providers in mental health screening programs should make efforts to engage clients who report lower resilience in mental health services. Further research should assess variables that may encourage or impede enrolling in behavioral health services, and whether or not refugees and asylees remain in and benefit from treatment following receipt of these referrals.
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
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Identifier:
KosterDP-16
