Mental Health and Suicide Research with Migrants in Australia: Necessary Knowledge, Skills and Engagement Strategies

Abstract

(1) Research is fundamentally important in developing evidence-informed and effective policies and appropriate programs and services to reduce the burden of mental health problems, and prevent suicide, among migrants. However, this population continues to be underrepresented in mental health and suicide research, resulting in large evidence gaps that limit policy making, service design and delivery, as well as evaluation of outcomes. (2) Experts in mental health and suicide prevention research with migrants provided free-text responses to a survey that asked about the knowledge and skills required to effectively conduct mental health and suicide prevention research with migrants, and effective strategies for engaging migrant and refugee communities in such research. An adapted thematic analysis method was used to analyze the free-text responses to the six questions. (3) The study identified specific areas of knowledge and skills required for effective mental health and suicide research with migrants; the methodological and ethical challenges that may arise in such research; and strategies that are likely to be effective in engaging people with lived experience and migrant and refugee communities in such research. (4) The findings from this project can be used to inform researchers on how to ethically and effectively undertake mental health and suicide research with migrant and refugee populations.

Keywords: lived experience; mental health; methods; migrants; refugees; research; suicide.