We recently completed an evaluation for Cairde of their new programme delivering a mental health and integration programme for international protection applicants. Cairde is a national organisation working to tackle health inequalities among minority ethnic communities by improving their access to health services and their participation in health planning and delivery.
This follows our evaluation with Cairde Ireland in 2023 to evaluate their innovative Mental Health and Well-being program for minority ethnic and migrant women in Balbriggan.
Pathways to Well-being is a suite of community-based mental health promotion resources, focusing on a holistic approach. The program integrates lifestyle medicine, positive psychology, stress management, trauma-informed techniques, coaching, and healthy habits.
This programme was specifically piloted for International Protection Applicants (IPAs) living in Direct Provision, addressing the unique mental health and integration challenges faced by this population. Coordinated by Sarah Duku and Emilia Marchelewska, and funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.
The evaluation concluded:
“Participants actively engaged with the program, adopting various techniques and practices into their daily lives, resulting in observable changes in behaviour and emotional well-being. Most participants attributed these changes directly to the programme’s content and structure. Moreover, they extended the supportive environment they found in the programme by building mutual support relationships within the Direct Provision centre.”
The full evaluation report, Pathways to Well-being: Empowering Migrant and Refugee Women’s Mental Health and Integration, is available here.
Pathways to Well-being: Empowering Migrant and Refugee Women’s Mental Health and Integration. Cairde, November 2024.
You can read the previous evaluation report here.
Pathways to Wellbeing: Empowering Migrant Women’s Mental Health
Cairde, March 2024.