Refugee & Migrant Mental Health Hub

Refugees often face high rates of anxiety, depression and trauma, yet language barriers and cultural differences can prevent them from accessing effective mental‑health care. Cultural mediators—people who share the refugees’ language and cultural background—bridge this gap by translating not only words but also meanings, values and expectations. Their own lived experience of displacement gives them insight into the emotional stakes of the journey. As a result, they can help clinicians interpret symptoms more accurately and support refugees in navigating health…

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Refugees often face heightened risk of mental distress due to displacement, trauma and uncertainty. Within the EU, existing health frameworks can be expanded to include interventions that are both evidence‑based and capable of reaching large numbers of people quickly. Effective integration requires coordination between immigration authorities, public health agencies, and NGOs, alongside funding that supports training, digital tools and culturally appropriate delivery. By aligning policy, funding and service design, scalable mental‑health solutions can become a routine part of refugee reception…

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Delivering mental health support to refugees and asylum seekers doesn’t always require specialist mental health professionals. Trained non-specialist facilitators—such as cultural mediators, community workers, or volunteers with a refugee or migrant background—can effectively deliver scalable psychological interventions like Self-Help Plus (SH+). This guide explains who can be trained, what training covers, how facilitators are supported, and what works in practice for organisations working with displaced populations in the UK and Europe. Who can become a non-specialist facilitator? Non-specialist facilitators do…

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