Feasibility Study of a Cell Phone Intervention to Promote Mental Health Among Deported Mexican Migrants

INTRODUCTION: Deportations of Mexican migrants who had been living in the United States for extended periods of time increased during the past decade. As an event of non-willed migration, deportation is a stressful event that can potentially affect the mental health of those deported. However, the mental health needs of deportees are rarely considered in Mexican health policies, and resources to provide mental health care to this population are scarce. Mobile health interventions that make use of widely available technologies such as cell phones have been recommended as a way to increase the reach of health services in lower and middle income countries. Cell phone-based interventions for mental health have been proved to be effective among other mobile, underserved populations. METHODS: We conducted a feasibility study of a cell phone-based intervention to promote the mental health of recently deported Mexican migrants. Participants (n=50) were recruited at the Mexico-United States border as they entered Mexico after being returned to the country by the United States authorities. A prepay cell phone was given to each participant, to which follow-up calls were made at 7, 14, 30, 60 and 90 days after deportation. During the call, a brief mental health promotion intervention was delivered. As indicators of feasibility, we considered retention, recruitment and participation rates, and assessed acceptability through qualitative analysis of interviews with participants. RESULTS: The 90-day retention rate was 42%, and the intervention was perceived as useful by all participants. In this presentation, we discuss logistic issues, and make recommendations for a future protocol to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.