We are developing an innovative visual narrative intervention for supporting knowledge sharing of family mental wellness concerns, and strategies for addressing them among East African refugee and immigrant community members in a non-clinical setting. Our project follows 3 stages of development, piloting, and assessment, in line with proposed standards for preventive mental health interventions with refugee families in resettlement, evaluated through a mixed methods design. This project builds on a close collaboration among the interdisciplinary team at UCSD and United Women of East Africa (UWEAST) in San Diego, and our intervention leverages the high value placed on story telling and visual communication as vectors for sharing advice, ethical values, beliefs, and behaviours within traditional East African culture .
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Narratives developed through community based workshops.
The stories touch on challenging themes that community members are in the process of working through.
The visual narratives are designed as a space for sharing.
Using the app, particpants can discuss stories and contribute ideas about the resolutions.
“We used to eat from the same plate. Now we don't even eat at the same table” ~member of the UWEAST Women's Narrative Development Group