Grants from the Jessie Parker Williams Foundation, the Georgia Health Foundation and Kaiser Permanente fund psychoeducational sessions.

ATLANTA - After experiencing the traumas of war, Afghan mothers living in the refugee resettlement hub of Clarkston, Ga., are learning how to identify and manage mental health challenges through a series of psychoeducational sessions led by Georgia State University researchers.

The sessions are funded by grants from the Jessie Parker Williams Foundation, the Georgia Health Foundation and Kaiser Permanente. Through five sessions delivered over five weeks, the researchers seek to equip participants with mental health awareness and coping skills that aim to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.

"Rates of post-traumatic stress disorder among refugees, immigrants and migrants are over seven times the average of domestic-born Americans," said Ashli Owen-Smith, an associate professor in the GSU School of Public Health. "There is a tremendous need for culturally sensitive mental health support, particularly in an underserved area like Clarkston."

Clarkston is home to GSU's Prevention Research Center, which is funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and focuses on the health of refugees, immigrants, migrants and other members of the community. GSU researchers have implemented the evidence-based SafeCare parenting program in Clarkston, and Owen-Smith said the project focused on Afghan mothers is an outgrowth of the connections that have been forged with community members and organizations over the years.

The sessions are held in the Clarkston Resource and Wellness Hub, which is located in space donated by Easterseals North Georgia. The curriculum was developed by Jonathan Orr, a clinical associate professor in GSU's College of Education & Human Development. The sessions are delivered by Orr and Amenah Arman, an alumna of GSU's Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.

The researchers gathered baseline data on levels of anxiety, depression, isolation and social support among the participants at the start of the project and will gather data on the same variables at the completion of the program.

"Just by being part of these groups, we hope that the women will feel more supported," Owen-Smith said.

She added that improvements in mental health among the participants have the potential to benefit their children as well. "There's a growing body of evidence about the profound ways in which trauma can be passed down," Owen-Smith said. "The mothers are the primary caregivers of their children, so by prioritizing their mental health we hope to interrupt that intergenerational trauma cycle."

Story by Sam Fahmy

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