584 Piloting an Evidence Gap Map for Refugee Mental Health Interventions - The Healing Roots Project - Abstract

Sep 30, 2026

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A pilot evidence gap map is developed to support decision-makers and practitioners designing mental health interventions for forcibly displaced populations. The project, Healing Roots, creates an open-access evidence gap map of interventions and conducts pilot data extraction using the PICOT framework and PubMed searching in English. From 16,800 citations, 662 studies were screened for full text and 434 were eligible for extraction.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages2

Reading Time5 min

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Objectives

Methods

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Conclusions

2nd World Congress on Migration, Ethnicity, Race & Health Abstract Book vi51 Abstract citation ID: ckaf180.141 584 Piloting an Evidence Gap Map for Refugee Mental Health Interventions: The Healing Roots Project Christos Tagkas1, Aristoula Danika1, Claire Green2, Konstantinos Christopoulos1, Alexandros-Georgios I. Asimakopoulos1, Ourania E. Papathanasiou1, Irene Zambaka1, Ajmal Sabawoon3, Samantha Lilly Archontis4, Christine Bourey3, Ann Bourns5, Manuela A. Orjuela6, Konstantinos Kotsis7, Charles Branas3, Evangelia Ntzani1,8 1Evidence-Based Medicine Unit, Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece 2Program on Forced Migration and Health, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, New York, United States 3Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University, Mailman School of Public Health, New York, United States 4Department of Psychology, Barnard College, New York, United States 5Columbia World Projects, Columbia University, New York, United States 6Departments of Epidemiology and Pediatrics, Columbia Univ. Medical Center, New York, United States 7Community CAMHS, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece 8Center for Evidence Synthesis in Health, Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Brown University, Providence, United States OP 20: Challenges and Opportunities for Health 1, B308 (FCSH), September 4, 2025, 13:30-14:30 Aims: Healing Roots is a collaborative initiative between Columbia University and University of Ioannina (both based in host destinations) . The project aims to develop an open-access Evidence Gap Map (EGM) of mental health interventions targeting forcibly displaced populations. Methods: Following the PICOT framework, we searched PubMed for articles published in English and describing mental health interventions implemented among displaced populations, yielding over 16,800 citations. After title and abstract screening, we selected 662 studies for full-text screening. 434 studies were eligible for data vi52 European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 35, Supplement 6, 2025 extraction. We created a data extraction form of 25 core variablesand conducted pilot data extraction on 86 studies. Extracted data were synthesized to create a pilot EGM. Results: The most commonly implemented interventions used cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and were implemented in group formats. Frequently evaluated outcomes included depression, PTSD, and anxiety. Few interventions focused on structural factors and digital tools. Many studies reached refugees from different nationalities. Most interventions were provided to adults and children after displacement, with fewer studies examining adolescents. There was a noticeable increase in relevant studies after 2015, following major global displacement events. The pilot EGM showed significant geographical disparities, with Europe significantly overrepresented, while South America, Australia, and South Asia were underrepresented. Stakeholders highlighted the need to move beyond symptom reduction, by promoting functioning, resilience, and empowerment and to address structural barriers, while accounting for the contextual complexity of refugees’ lives. Conclusions: This pilot study supported the feasibility and utility of an EGM for refugee mental health interventions. The Healing Roots EGM serves as a foundation for a publicly available platform that supports decision-makers and practitioners in developing effective mental health interventions for displaced populations. “Healing Roots: An Evidence Map and Roadmap for Refugee Mental Health Interventions” is supported and funded by Columbia World Projects, an initiative under Columbia Global. 1 , 1 1 , Eurecat, Centre Tecnolgic de Catalunya, Unit of Innovation Consultancy, OP 20: Challenges and Opportunities for Health 1, B308 (FCSH),

FAQs

What is the Healing Roots project aiming to produce?

It aims to develop an open-access Evidence Gap Map of mental health interventions targeting forcibly displaced populations.

How were studies identified and selected in the pilot?

Using the PICOT framework, the team searched PubMed for English-language articles describing mental health interventions among displaced populations, screened titles/abstracts to select 662 for full-text screening, and extracted data from 434 eligible studies.

What did the pilot evidence gap map reveal about intervention coverage?

It showed geographic disparities with Europe overrepresented, while South America, Australia, and South Asia were underrepresented. It also indicated that cognitive behavioral therapy in group formats was common and that few interventions targeted structural factors or digital tools.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Stanley