Text Messaging for Mental Health Promotion With Migrants Returning to Mexico: Content Development and Piloting With a...

Returning migrants face a variety of challenges that limit their ability to integrate and adapt to Mexico. This represents a break in their life trajectory, with effects on family dynamics, mid- and long-term projects, and uncertainty about short-term plans.

This study describes the coproduction approach used to design and develop a WhatsApp-based psychoeducational program entitled "Here Again: Coping With Return," which aims to promote the adoption of self-care behaviors to reduce the risk of mental health and substance use problems among returning migrants.

The process included four phases: (1) a situational diagnosis of the needs of migrants in preventing mental health problems and reducing the risks associated with alcohol use, (2) the design and development of content, (3) evaluation by a group of experts in mental health and substance use, and (4) pilot testing.

The study identified 4 intervention pillars: emotional risk factors, coping strategies, barriers to care, and technological feasibility. Eighty WhatsApp messages were developed, focusing on mental health (n=52, 65%) and alcohol use (n=20, 25%) through a sequence of motivation, instruction, and reinforcement. Following an expert evaluation that simplified technical language, a pilot study with 14 migrants showed a 78.6% completion rate. Participants reported the successful application of emotional management tools and a preference for text-based messages over audiovisual content to conserve mobile data.

This study describes the development of a psychoeducational program for returning migrants based on coproduction, integrating user needs and expert experience. The intervention addresses emotional management, self-care, and substance use prevention, using WhatsApp for its accessibility and low cost. The pilot results demonstrated high acceptability and a 78.6% retention rate over 16 weeks, highlighting that the culturally sensitive approach and accessible language enabled participants to apply mental health tools autonomously and effectively.