Person-centred integrated primary care for refugees: a mixed-methods, stepped wedge design study to assess the impact

To assess the impact of a person-centred culturally sensitive approach in primary care on the recognition and discussion of mental distress in refugee youth.

Refugee minors are at risk for mental health problems. Timely recognition and treatment prevent deterioration. Primary care is the first point of contact where these problems could be discussed. However, primary care staff struggle to discuss mental health with refugees.Guided by the needs of refugees and professionals we developed and implemented the Empowerment intervention, consisting of a training, guidance and interprofessional collaboration in four general practices in the Netherlands.

This mixed-method study consisted of a quantitative cohort study and semi-structured interviews. The intervention was implemented in a stepped wedge design. Patient records of refugee youth and controls were analysed descriptively regarding number of contacts, mental health conversations, and diagnosis, before and after the start of the intervention.Semi-structured interviews on experiences were held with refugee parents, general practitioners, primary care mental health nurses, and other participants in the local collaboration groups.Findings:A total of 152 refugees were included. Discussions about mental health were significantly less often held with refugees than with controls (16 versus 38 discussions/1000 patient-years) but increased substantially, and relatively more than in the control group, to 47 discussions/1000 patient-years (compared to 71 in the controls) after the implementation of the programme.The intervention was much appreciated by all involved, and professionals in GP felt more able to provide person-centred culturally sensitive care.

Person-centred culturally sensitive care in general practice, including an introductory meeting with refugees, in combination with interprofessional collaboration, indeed results in more discussions of mental health problems with refugee minors in general practice. Such an approach is assessed positively by all involved and is therefore recommended for broader implementation and assessment.