Assessment of an E-Learning Resource Addressing Mental Health and Intentional Self-Harm in Afghan Refugees.
Zeb, Muhammad
Zeb, Muhammad
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Abstract
Description
The objective of this project is to develop and test an educational resource for healthcare workers to support them in identifying and responding to suicide and self-harming behaviors in Vermont refugee populations. Specifically, the focus is on identifying behavioral trends and areas of need regarding mental health in refugee populations. As the refugee populations are diverse in background, my direct focus will be on those from Afghanistan due to the high influx of refugees from there to Vermont in the past few years. This educational module will be specific to the Afghan culture so that it may best address Afghan refugee needs concerning mental health challenges. This project is being performed in the context of a broader effort to support health providers in addressing mental health challenges in marginalized and at-risk populations in Vermont. It is our goal that this project may serve as a stepping stone to open up new avenues to increase the resources available for healthcare workers to use when engaging with any at-risk population.
Project Breakdown:
Phase one of the project will be centered on assessing the needs around mental health resources in refugee populations. To do this, I will be conducting a literature review on existing resources to identify cultural barriers that may be present amongst Afghan refugees. Additionally, I will meet with experts in the field of refugee care to supplement the findings of the literature review and improve the efficacy of the created intervention.
The second phase of the project will consist of designing an interactive, web-based educational module that will provide healthcare and other providers with basic awareness of skills related to identifying and responding in a culturally appropriate way to mental health risk factors in the Afghan refugee population in Vermont.
The third phase will be centered on testing the initial effectiveness of the module. This will be performed through a systematic review by provider experts or community representatives, and feedback will be incorporated to produce a secondary version with high educational value and that promotes culturally appropriate care.
The fourth phase is a secondary review process using anonymous surveys after distribution of the module to assess its effectiveness. This is the data that will be presented in our poster and will act as a secondary review before finalization. Feedback is collected using Microsoft Forms with a mix of scaled and open-ended items. Reviewers of the module will be invited based on their profession and possible involvement with Afghan refugees. No identifying information is collected as part of the evaluation survey. Data will be aggregated across respondents, and a descriptive statistical summary will be shared with stakeholders.
Surveys will be analyzed using a number scale that will be compared between pre- and post-module survey completions. This will allow us to assess confidence scores based on how comfortable the responder feels about applying or addressing the topics listed in the module in their professional work.
Date
2026-04-23