Text Messaging for Mental Health Promotion with Migrants Returning to Mexico: Content Development and Piloting with a Needs Assessment Approach (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Returning migrants face a variety of challenges that limit their ability to integrate and adapt to Mexico, this represents a break in their life trajectory, with effects on family dynamics, mid- and long-term projects, and uncertainty about short-term plans OBJECTIVE This article describes the co-production approach to design and develop a WhatsApp-based psychoeducational program entitled “Here Again: Coping with Return” which aims to promote the adoption of self-care behaviors to reduce the risk of mental health and substance use problems in returning migrants. METHODS The process included four phases: 1) a situational diagnosis of the needs of migrants in preventing mental health problems and reducing the risks associated with alcohol use; 2) design and development of content; 3) evaluation by a group of experts in mental health and substance use; and 4) pilot testing. RESULTS The process led to an appropriate psychoeducation program, based on research data and committed to the primary goal of improving the management of emotions and encouraging the development of habits of self-care, even in conditions of psychosocial vulnerability. The pilot study found that 80% of participants continued through the last of the 16 weeks of the program; this is an encouraging sign for the feasibility of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The use of co-production allowed for the development of a culturally-sensitive intervention for returning migrants, using a language and examples related to the needs of this population. The intervention was found to be useful for helping participants to deal with daily emotional problems.