Session: Centering Mental Health for Social Change: A Multi-Country Initiative Advancing Evidence-Informed Research and Programming with Syrian Refugees and Service Providers in Jordan and Turkey (Society for Social Work and Research 25th Annual Conference - Social Work Science for Social Change)

Since 2011, the Syrian Civil War has displaced over half of Syrians, many of whom now reside in neighboring Jordan and Turkey. Almost a decade into response efforts, disparities in health care access persist as host countries continue to struggle to address the needs of Syrian refugees. The Columbia University School of Social Work began the ASPIRE initiative in 2016 to center social work research and practice on the health and mental health needs of refugees and service providers in Jordan and Turkey. ASPIRE's international network of academic researchers, clinicians, and humanitarian actors completed two studies to mobilize social change efforts in response to these needs. This symposium highlights findings from ASPIRE studies, centering on drivers of mental health or illness in these populations. Each presentation includes policy and program recommendations to support social change efforts to reduce mental illness and associated disparities among Syrian refugees and their service providers. The symposium's first two papers highlight research from Women ASPIRE, an ASPIRE project centering the health and mental health needs of Syrian refugee women in non-camp settings in Jordan. The first paper considers the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV), gender-based violence (GBV), and associated migration outcomes among Syrian refugee women. High prevalence rates of IPV, GBV, and associated adverse mental health outcomes suggest the need to integrate family violence prevention in mental health programs. The second paper examines factors preventing Syrian refugee women from accessing mental health care. Findings underscore the need for outreach efforts to inform women about mental health care services, address stigma-related concerns, and integrate IPV prevention into mental health services. Findings from both papers will facilitate informed interventions responsive to the needs of Syrian refugee women. The final two papers highlight research from Providers ASPIRE, an ASPIRE project advancing understanding of how regular exposure to refugees' trauma impacts service providers in Turkey. The first of these papers relies on mixed methods examining providers experiencing secondary traumatic stress (STS) as a result of their work with Syrian refugees. Providers reported symptoms of avoidance, intrusion, and arousal, exacerbated by work-related factors like inadequate supervision. Findings will be used to develop an intervention applying supervision models and peer support to help providers experiencing STS. The second Providers ASPIRE paper contributes to widely understudied experiences of vicarious post-traumatic growth (VPTG) among providers. Findings confirm high prevalence of VPTG, in addition to predictors of VPTG, namely, perceived organizational and social support. This paper shows that (1) providers can experience both positive and negative effects of working with individuals who are traumatized and (2) organizations can foster VPTG among staff by increasing organizational and social support. The symposium will end with a discussion of how the findings from each presentation have been disseminated to influence social change to improve mental health service delivery for Syrian refugees, and those who serve them in Jordan and Turkey. The symposium will underscore the role of social scientists in informing evidence-based practice and research in response to critical social needs among vulnerable populations..4.164 on 5-8-2020-->