Migrant mental health: a systematic review of trauma assessment measures in forcibly displaced adults and an empirical study exploring factors impacting migrant mental health and wellbeing

Forcibly displaced individuals often experience trauma before, during, and after migration, increasing vulnerability to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health difficulties. This thesis comprises two related studies addressing assessment and post-migratory influences on mental health in migrant populations. The first study is a systematic review evaluating the psychometric properties of PTSD screening instruments for forcibly displaced adults. Thirteen studies were identified, covering two measures developed specifically for this population and four culturally adapted translations of existing tools. Data on validity, reliability, and methodological quality were extracted using the COSMIN checklist. The Harvard Trauma Questionnaire was the most frequently used measure (54% of studies), typically showing acceptable internal consistency, but limited evidence for factor structure and optimal sensitivity/specificity cut-off points. Findings highlight the scarcity of comprehensive validation studies, especially in forcibly displaced populations from low- and middle-income countries. The second study is a large-scale quantitative survey investigating post-migratory factors associated with mental health outcomes among 218 economic and forcibly displaced migrants in the UK and Ireland. A novel tool, the Migrant Perception of Public Attitudes Scale, was developed and psychometrically evaluated, with factor analyses supporting a one-factor structure. While perceptions of public attitudes did not differ significantly by migration status, differences emerged by country of origin. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated that more positive perceptions of public attitudes were associated with lower anxiety and higher wellbeing, independent of trauma history and quality of life. Collectively, these studies emphasise the need for robust, culturally sensitive mental health assessment tools for forcibly displaced populations, and highlight the role of social context, including perceived public attitudes, in shaping post-migration mental health outcomes. Thesis is embargoed until 31 December 2026.