Barriers and Facilitators of Mental Health Service Utilisation among Bhutanese Refugees in the USA: Findings from a Mixed-Methods Study

Abstract

Abstract Although discussions regarding the need to develop culturally responsive mental health services for resettled refugee populations in the USA have been burgeoning, efforts to comprehensively understand the unique barriers and facilitators of mental health services across refugee subpopulations remain fragmented. Our study explored the barriers and facilitators of mental health services experienced by the resettled Bhutanese refugee population in a Midwestern city in the USA using a two-phased sequential explanatory mixed-methods study (N = 46). Study findings draw much needed attention to culturally grounded solutions generated by the community to reduce barriers and increase facilitators of mental health engagement. Building on community-generated solutions and expanding the capacity of local community-based ethnic organisations will be the first step in providing services that are truly responsive to the cultural needs of the Bhutanese refugee population. Recognition of refugee communities’ unique collective strengths will be much needed to holistically collaborate with these new members of the society to promote mental well-being and foster a sense of inclusion and belonging, especially in the post-coronavirus pandemic context. Our study also contributes to emerging knowledge on methodological rigor in research amongst understudied, hard-to-reach populations.