Natalie Mastrogiovanni

Clinical Psychology Registrar and PhD candidate @UNSW Refugee Trauma and Recovery Program | Researching Mental Health Stigma in Refugees

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

@SabelIsaac Congrats Isaac this is amazing!

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

Help-seeking beliefs has received relatively little attention for its role in low treatment uptake amongst refugees.
So, we developed and validated a novel scale of help-seeking beliefs.
Excited to share that this work is officially published⤵️
https://t.co/Tw1Xy2MdRs

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

#ISTSS2023 @ISTSSnews

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

Such a privilege to present a large focus of mine over the past 4 years at @ISTSS2023.

Tell Your Story is an innovative intervention to reduce mental health stigma in refugees.
We found support for its effectiveness using a RCT design. See comments for more details —>

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

These findings suggest that the intervention reduces stigma for those with higher PTSD symptoms, yet increases help-seeking regardless of symptoms. In other words, TYS seems to be encouraging people to speak about their difficulties in a community where it’s usually silenced.

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

From post intervention to 3 month follow up, participants in the Tell Your Story group spoke to more people (eg GP, psychologist, friend) about their emotional difficulties compared to the waitlist control group.

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

From pre to post intervention, participants in the Tell Your Story group demonstrated greater decreases in self-stigma related to symptoms and self-stigma related to help-seeking but only for those with higher PTSD symptoms.

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

A member of my research group shared this with me today - it’s inspiring to see refugee and migrant communities supporting important issues that shape Australia’s social and political context. It’s worth a watch

[ABC News @abcnews]

Some of Australia's newest citizens are campaigning for the Indigenous Voice.

Members of South Australia's growing Hazara community say their experiences in Afghanistan give them an understanding of the frustrations and hopes of Australia's Indigenous people. #abc730

[RefugeeTraumaProgram @RefugeeTRP]

‘Tell Your Story’ is a free online program for #Arabic speakers from #refugee or #asylumseeker backgrounds. Participants will hear stories from people with a similar background to reduce mental health stigma and encourage confiding in others. https://t.co/dAhkaKmlpB

[RefugeeTraumaProgram @RefugeeTRP]

The ‘PRISM’ Family research project aims to understand how missing and separated family affects refugees living in Australia. In collaboration with @RedCrossAU @ICRC, this project aims to learn more how people cope & what support is most helpful https://t.co/S5W45WWxI5

[RefugeeTraumaProgram @RefugeeTRP]

Today is #worldrefugeeday2023, a moment where across the world we acknowledge the strength and courage of millions of people who have been forced to flee their home country to escape conflict or persecution.🧵1/3 @UNrefugees @Refugees

[Natalie Mastrogiovanni @NatMastro]

Stigma has a debilitating impact on refugee communities - exacerbating PTSD symptoms and preventing access to care.

So, how can we reduce it?

We identified mechanisms that might break the stigma cycle.

An honour presenting this work @Wccbt2023