Evaluating Mental Health in Cuban Refugees: The Role of the Refugee Health Screener-15

Authors

Rahel Bosson, University of LouisvilleFollow
Victoria A. Schlaudt, Nova Southeastern University, College of PsychologyFollow
Monnica T. Williams, University of Connecticut, Department of Psychological SciencesFollow
Ruth M. Carrico, University of LouisvilleFollow
Adriana Peña, Spalding University, Department of PsychologyFollow
Julio A. Ramirez, University of LouisvilleFollow
Jonathan Kanter, University of Washington, Department of PsychologyFollow

Abstract

The Refugee Health Screener-15 (RHS-15) is widely used in refugee populations, but the psychometric properties and clinical utility have not been evaluated in Cuban refugees and entrants. The current study explored results from the Spanish version of the RHS-15 in a sample of 53 Cuban entrants and refugees, and of these, 17.6% screened positive for a mental health concern. Analyses suggested that a positive screening was significantly related to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder; however, it was not associated with demographic variables such as gender, mode of transport, or the number of countries through which a refugee traveled before arriving in the United States. A factor analysis of the measure revealed a 4-factor solution is most appropriate when used with Cuban individuals. Results provide preliminary evidence regarding the measure’s psychometric properties, and demonstrate that the Spanish version of the RHS-15 is an appropriate screening tool for the mental health of newly arrived Cuban entrants and refugees. Future studies should further validate the Spanish version RHS-15 in Cuban entrants and refugees, and explore its efficacy amongst Latino refugees of other nationalities.

Funder

The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

DOI

10.18297/rgh/vol1/iss1/4

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Recommended Citation

Bosson, Rahel; Schlaudt, Victoria A.; Williams, Monnica T.; Carrico, Ruth M.; Peña, Adriana; Ramirez, Julio A.; and Kanter, Jonathan (2017) "Evaluating Mental Health in Cuban Refugees: The Role of the Refugee Health Screener-15," Journal of Refugee & Global Health: Vol. 1 : Iss. 1 , Article 4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18297/rgh/vol1/iss1/4
Available at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/rgh/vol1/iss1/4