92 Fostering mental health in the community: participatory interventions designed by and for undocumented women in Geneva, Switzerland

Abstract PTH 3: Mental Health and Refugees 1, B307 (FCSH), September 3, 2025, 17:00 - 17:54 Aims Undocumented migrants, particularly women, are at high risk of poor mental health exacerbated by barriers to healthcare and systemic inequalities. Evidence on tailored interventions to mitigate these risks is lacking, especially in high-income urban contexts. This project aims to document how participatory approaches can drive migrants’ engagement in wellbeing and mental health promotion along with social integration. Through culturally informed psycho-social interventions, the project seeks to transform these challenges into opportunities for better mental health and community integration. Methods Grounded in a long-standing collaboration between Geneva University Hospital, non-governmental organisations and migrant communities, the methodology actively involves undocumented women in the design and implementation of group interventions. Participants are accompanied by an interprofessional health team to define their priority health needs (first phase), and the strategies to best respond to them from a context-specific perspective (second phase). Monitoring and evaluation embedded in the participatory approach promote a dynamic quality improvement process. Inspired by successful models like community therapy, it emphasises shared leadership, skills and knowledge that migrant women bring to the process through participation in socio-cultural activities. Results In the first phase of the project (August 2024-February 2025), 41 middle-aged (range 19 to 67) women from 13 Latin American countries, mainly employed in the informal domestic sector, participated in 13 group sessions. Priority health themes included perimenopausal distress, occupational health and emotional wellbeing. They developed a roadmap to harness resources within the healthcare system and the community, and participated in social and cultural activities to strengthen peer-support and better integrate local community life. Further results of this first phase evaluation will be shared at the GSMHER congress. Conclusions Putting undocumented women at the heart of participatory psychosocial interventions, this project underscores how vulnerable migrants, when supported by inclusive practices, can drive the development of healthier and better integrated communities.