The Problem There are 7.3 million older adult immigrants (including refugees) in the U.S. By 2060, this population is expected to grow to 22 million. Older refugees face greater challenges than other older adults, including preresettlement trauma, language barriers, family stress, social isolation, employment difficulties and limited access to health care. These challenges are linked to poor mental health outcomes. The Approach To address these challenges, a multidisciplinary community-based participatory research team will: Use qualitative methods to explore social support as a protective factor for older Bhutanese-American refugees’ mental health. Conduct a three-year longitudinal study to assess links between war-related trauma, current risk/protective factors and older adults' mental health. Assess Bhutanese caregivers’ mental health over three years and examine its connection to the mental health of older Bhutanese adults. Use qualitative methods to explore the experiences and needs of older BhutaneseAmerican caregivers. The Impact of Forced Displacement on Aging Adult Mental Health “My goal is to be of service to communities and work in partnership with them to address their most pressing health needs.” - Rochelle Frounfelker, ScD Societal Impact Funding for this research will fuel a committed and principled investigation aimed at increasing understanding of forced displacement's impact on mental health, informing effective interventions for aging refugees and reducing health disparities among aging immigrants. This research has societal benefits in the following areas: Short Term Impact Create employment and educational opportunities for Bhutanese-American community members. Identify health needs of aging immigrants and caregivers in Pennsylvania. Longer Term Impact Understand how forced displacement affects long-term mental health. Inform multi-level interventions to support aging refugees’ psychosocial well-being. For more information visit https://health.lehigh.edu/research-partners or email INRSRCH@lehigh.edu 10 Community/Culture: Develop culturally-tailored interventions to improve mental health among aging Bhutanese immigrants. Policy: Advocate for policies that fund services for aging immigrants to reduce health disparities.
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