6 Brief CBT-based psychological interventions to improve mental health outcomes in refugee populations: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract PTH 8: Miscellaneous 1, B304 (FCSH), September 5, 2025, 11:30 - 12:30 Aims To summarise the available evidence and analyse the efficacy of brief psychological interventions (< 3 months) in improving mental health outcomes, including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related symptoms in refugees and internally displaced people. Methods A systematic search was conducted in Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Global Index Medicus from inception to 19 December 2023. Controlled studies using cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or CBT-based therapies delivered in less than 3 months, which reported mental health outcomes pre- and post-intervention, were included. Meta-analyses were performed using random effects models to derive pooled summary statistics. The quality of evidence was assessed using the Cochrane RoB2 and ROBINS-I tools. Results Thirty-four eligible studies (37 publications) were included in the analysis, with 33 studies (4479 participants) analysed in the meta-analysis. Immediate mental health outcomes showed improvement across anxiety (13 studies, SMD −1.12, 95% CI − 1.72 to − 0.52), depression (20 studies, SMD −1.04, 95% CI − 1.97 to − 0.11), and PTSD (24 studies, SMD −0.82, 95% CI − 1.20 to − 0.45). However, at 3 to 6-month follow-up, no significant improvement was observed, with SMDs of 0.24 (95% CI − 0.94 to 1.42) for anxiety, −0.73 (95% CI − 2.14 to 0.68) for depression, and 0.29 (95% CI − 0.94 to 1.53) for PTSD. High heterogeneity was noted across studies. Conclusions Brief psychological interventions have a positive immediate impact on mental health outcomes in forcibly displaced individuals. However, these effects do not persist in the short-term follow-up. The evidence is low quality, and high heterogeneity limits the generalisability of findings.