Healing Roots refugee mental health project in Greece Wins 2024 Columbia World Projects Impact Award

“Healing Roots: An Evidence Roadmap for Refugee Mental Health Interventions” was announced last week as a winner of the 2024 Columbia World Projects Impact Awards for its innovative approach to addressing the urgent mental health needs of refugees in Greece and beyond.

Addressing a critical global issue

Forced displacement affects over 114 million people worldwide, driven by conflict, persecution, and human rights violations, according to the United Nations, and Greece alone currently hosts more than 170,000 refugees and asylum seekers, including many unaccompanied adolescents and children. As a key entry point to the European Union, Greece acts as both a transit hub and a temporary resettlement location for forced migrants, with many staying for varying lengths of time before moving to other parts of the EU. This creates a huge demand for Greece to provide crucial initial humanitarian aid and long-term integration services. These individuals face significant psychological challenges, such as PTSD, depression and anxiety, often without access to essential and effective healthcare services, according to the World Health Organization.

A two-pronged approach

The CWP Healing Roots project is designed to tackle these common mental health challenges refugees face with a two-part approach.

First, the project will develop the "Mental Health Evidence Roadmap," an online, open-access tool that will synthesize existing research on refugee mental health interventions to address gaps in knowledge and identify effective treatment strategies. Second, the "Refugee Mental Health Roadmap" will expand on this work and will guide the design and implementation of evidence-based mental health interventions.

Both tools will be tested in partnership with key stakeholders, including migrants in resettlement centers in Greece.

Partners in impact

The CWP Healing Roots project is led by several partners and collaborators, each bringing unique expertise to the project. 

Faculty from the Mailman School of Public Health and Columbia University Medical Campus are partnering with the University of Ioannina, the Hellenic Region of Epirus, the Network for Children’s Rights, the Society of Psychosocial Research and Intervention and the Columbia Global Center in Athens. These institutions contribute local knowledge and detailed understanding, essential for developing effective strategies. Refugees themselves will also play a crucial role, with their personal experiences informing the approaches used. 

The outcomes of this collaboration will be shared internationally, aiming to enhance mental health support for refugees in Greece, as well as the Balkans, Eastern Mediterranean, Middle East and North Africa.

About the Impact Awards

The Columbia World Projects Impact Awards empower Columbia University faculty and researchers to propose bold solutions to societal challenges. Award recipients receive support for project design, implementation, management, evaluation and strategic positioning. 

Columbia World Projects is part of Columbia Global, an initiative that unifies Columbia University’s social impact work around the globe under one umbrella. As an award recipient, the CWP Healing Roots project will benefit from this extensive support, enabling it to scale and accelerate its impact on refugee mental health.

Explore other winners of the 2024 Impact Awards and discover more at Columbia Global, where thinking meets doing, in transforming societies and creating lasting social impact.