The relation between post-migration stressors and trauma treatment outcomes: : a scoping review
Mässing, Alva and Cardeña, Etzel LU
(2025)
In European Journal of Psychotraumatology
16(1).
- Abstract
- Background: People seeking refuge and asylum must often endure diverse adversities before,
during, and after migration, making them more susceptible to develop psychological
problems. The effect of post-migration stressors on responsiveness to psychological
treatment is unclear.
Objectives: To: (1) evaluate the scope of the literature on the relation between post-migration
stressors (e.g. struggles related to legal status in the context of resettlement) and outcomes of
interventions targeting PTSD and comorbid conditions, in adult refugees and asylum seekers;
(2) identify conceptual and methodological limitations of the literature; and (3) present
limitations and recommendations for future... (More) - Background: People seeking refuge and asylum must often endure diverse adversities before,
during, and after migration, making them more susceptible to develop psychological
problems. The effect of post-migration stressors on responsiveness to psychological
treatment is unclear.
Objectives: To: (1) evaluate the scope of the literature on the relation between post-migration
stressors (e.g. struggles related to legal status in the context of resettlement) and outcomes of
interventions targeting PTSD and comorbid conditions, in adult refugees and asylum seekers;
(2) identify conceptual and methodological limitations of the literature; and (3) present
limitations and recommendations for future research.
Methods: This review follows the guidelines of PRISMA-ScR for Scoping Reviews, and the
Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework for identifying concepts pertaining to
the review question and the search strategy.
Results: From 1,151 studies found through PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science Select, and
review of sources, we assessed the 14 studies that fulfilled our criteria and found various
post-migration barriers and facilitators of treatment success. Obtaining a more secure
immigration status, reported in four studies, was the most emphasized factor associated
with clinical improvement. Although the quality of the studies was overall high, there were
frequent study limitations including small sample sizes and inconsistent post-stressor
measures.
Conclusion: Recommendations for future research include more robust methodologies,
including mixed and longitudinal designs, and consistently using valid tools to assess postmigration
stressors. The studies provide evidence for the effectiveness of psychological
treatment in reducing symptoms of distress, despite being implemented in the context of
post-migration stress. Post-migration stressors, although they may hamper treatment results,
are not an indication to withhold treatment but a sign that additional services may be
needed, but uniform and consistent evaluation of post-migration stressors should be
implemented. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/7ee14648-81ab-4bf2-8b29-d15335c72de8
- author
- Mässing, Alva
and Cardeña, Etzel
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- European Journal of Psychotraumatology
- volume
- 16
- issue
- 1
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:41147944
- ISSN
- 2000-8066
- DOI
- 10.1080/20008066.2025.2570929
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7ee14648-81ab-4bf2-8b29-d15335c72de8
- date added to LUP
- 2025-10-28 16:26:00
- date last changed
- 2025-10-30 03:00:02
@article{7ee14648-81ab-4bf2-8b29-d15335c72de8,
abstract = {{Background: People seeking refuge and asylum must often endure diverse adversities before,<br/>during, and after migration, making them more susceptible to develop psychological<br/>problems. The effect of post-migration stressors on responsiveness to psychological<br/>treatment is unclear.<br/>Objectives: To: (1) evaluate the scope of the literature on the relation between post-migration<br/>stressors (e.g. struggles related to legal status in the context of resettlement) and outcomes of<br/>interventions targeting PTSD and comorbid conditions, in adult refugees and asylum seekers;<br/>(2) identify conceptual and methodological limitations of the literature; and (3) present<br/>limitations and recommendations for future research.<br/>Methods: This review follows the guidelines of PRISMA-ScR for Scoping Reviews, and the<br/>Population, Concept, and Context (PCC) framework for identifying concepts pertaining to<br/>the review question and the search strategy.<br/>Results: From 1,151 studies found through PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science Select, and<br/>review of sources, we assessed the 14 studies that fulfilled our criteria and found various<br/>post-migration barriers and facilitators of treatment success. Obtaining a more secure<br/>immigration status, reported in four studies, was the most emphasized factor associated<br/>with clinical improvement. Although the quality of the studies was overall high, there were<br/>frequent study limitations including small sample sizes and inconsistent post-stressor<br/>measures.<br/>Conclusion: Recommendations for future research include more robust methodologies,<br/>including mixed and longitudinal designs, and consistently using valid tools to assess postmigration<br/>stressors. The studies provide evidence for the effectiveness of psychological<br/>treatment in reducing symptoms of distress, despite being implemented in the context of<br/>post-migration stress. Post-migration stressors, although they may hamper treatment results,<br/>are not an indication to withhold treatment but a sign that additional services may be<br/>needed, but uniform and consistent evaluation of post-migration stressors should be<br/>implemented.}},
author = {{Mässing, Alva and Cardeña, Etzel}},
issn = {{2000-8066}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{European Journal of Psychotraumatology}},
title = {{The relation between post-migration stressors and trauma treatment outcomes: : a scoping review}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2570929}},
doi = {{10.1080/20008066.2025.2570929}},
volume = {{16}},
year = {{2025}},
}