JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Refugees have an increased risk of developing mental health problems. There are insufficient psychosocial care structures to meet the resulting need for support. Stabilizing and guided imagery techniques have shown promising results in increasing traumatized refugees’ emotional stabilization. If delivered via audio-files, the respective techniques can be practiced autonomously and independent of time, space, and human resources or stable treatment settings.

Objective:

This study aimed to evaluate the self-practice of stabilization and guided imagery techniques via digital audio-files for traumatized refugees living in a reception and registration center in Germany.

Methods:

From May 2018 to February 2019, N = 42 traumatized refugees participated in our study. At T1, patients received digital audio-files in English, French, Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, or Serbian for self-practice. Nine days later, T2 took place during which a face-to-face interview was conducted. Two months after T2, a Follow-up interview took place via telephone.

Results:

At T2, about half of the patients reported the daily practice of stabilizing and guided imagery techniques. At Follow-up, the average frequency of practice was once-weekly or more if symptoms were worse. No technical difficulties were reported. According to T2 and Follow-up statements, the techniques helped the patients dealing with arousal, concentration, sleep, mood, thoughts, empowerment, and tension. The guided imagery technique ‘The Inner Safe Place’ was the most popular. Self-practice was impeded by post-migratory distress factors, like overcrowded accommodations.

Conclusions:

The results show that self-practice of stabilizing and guided imagery techniques via digital audio-files was helpful to and well accepted by the assessed refugees. Even though post-migratory distress factors hampered self-practice, especially the exercise ‘The Inner Safe Place’ was well received. In future, self-practiced audio-based stabilizing and guided imagery techniques should be evaluated in a randomized control design.