Blended-ALMAMAR app for inpatient mental health care for refugees: study protocol for a multicenter implementation study within the I-REACH consortium (Internet based REfugee mentAl healtH Care)

TY - JOUR

T1 - Blended-ALMAMAR app for inpatient mental health care for refugees: study protocol for a multicenter implementation study within the I-REACH consortium (Internet based REfugee mentAl healtH Care)

AU - Reinhardt, Isabelle

AU - Schmidt, Laura

AU - Reske, Dirk

AU - Zielasek, Jürgen

AU - Braun, Gracia

AU - Böttche, Maria

AU - Boettcher, Johanna

AU - Burchert, Sebastian

AU - Glaesmer, Heide

AU - Knaevelsrud, Christine

AU - Konnopka, Alexander

AU - Muntendorf, Louisa

AU - Nohr, Laura

AU - Paskuy, Sophia

AU - Renneberg, Babette

AU - Sierau, Susan

AU - Stammel, Nadine

AU - Wagner, Birgit

AU - Wirz, Tina

AU - Gouzoulis-Mayfrank, Euphrosyne

N1 - © 2023. The Author(s).

PY - 2023/12/13

Y1 - 2023/12/13

N2 - BACKGROUND: Refugees are at high risk for developing mental illnesses. Due to language and cultural barriers, there is need for specifically adapted therapeutic procedures for refugees in inpatient mental health care settings. Internet-based applications in refugee mother tongues have the potential to improve the outcomes of mental health care for this vulnerable population. The key research question of the present implementation study is whether the newly developed "blended ALMAMAR" app for Arabic and Farsi speaking refugees in Germany is used and accepted by patients and professionals in routine inpatient mental health care (blended care).METHODS: We present the design of an observational, prospective multicenter implementation study in eight psychiatric hospitals. We plan to recruit 100 Farsi or Arabic speaking refugees receiving in-patient treatment due to depression, anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or substance use disorders. These patients will get access to the "blended ALMAMAR" app during their inpatient stay in a blended-care approach. We will assess the usage (e.g., duration and frequency of use of the app) as well as subjective acceptability and usability of the intervention. To identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with "blended ALMAMAR" usage, we will also perform clinical and questionnaire assessments.DISCUSSION: The newly developed "blended ALMAMAR" app may help to close communication gaps for the hard-to reach and vulnerable group of refugees in inpatient mental health care. It is the first blended-care intervention that addresses severely mentally ill refugees in an inpatient psychiatric setting in Germany.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on November 11, 2021 (DRKS00025972) and adapted on November 14, 2023.

AB - BACKGROUND: Refugees are at high risk for developing mental illnesses. Due to language and cultural barriers, there is need for specifically adapted therapeutic procedures for refugees in inpatient mental health care settings. Internet-based applications in refugee mother tongues have the potential to improve the outcomes of mental health care for this vulnerable population. The key research question of the present implementation study is whether the newly developed "blended ALMAMAR" app for Arabic and Farsi speaking refugees in Germany is used and accepted by patients and professionals in routine inpatient mental health care (blended care).METHODS: We present the design of an observational, prospective multicenter implementation study in eight psychiatric hospitals. We plan to recruit 100 Farsi or Arabic speaking refugees receiving in-patient treatment due to depression, anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder or substance use disorders. These patients will get access to the "blended ALMAMAR" app during their inpatient stay in a blended-care approach. We will assess the usage (e.g., duration and frequency of use of the app) as well as subjective acceptability and usability of the intervention. To identify sociodemographic and clinical factors associated with "blended ALMAMAR" usage, we will also perform clinical and questionnaire assessments.DISCUSSION: The newly developed "blended ALMAMAR" app may help to close communication gaps for the hard-to reach and vulnerable group of refugees in inpatient mental health care. It is the first blended-care intervention that addresses severely mentally ill refugees in an inpatient psychiatric setting in Germany.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Register on November 11, 2021 (DRKS00025972) and adapted on November 14, 2023.

U2 - 10.1186/s12913-023-10403-z

DO - 10.1186/s12913-023-10403-z

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 38093271

VL - 23

JO - BMC HEALTH SERV RES

JF - BMC HEALTH SERV RES

SN - 1472-6963

IS - 1

M1 - 1409

ER -