Impact of Displacement on Aging Immigrant Mental Health and Interventions
Official title: The Impact of Forced Displacement on Aging Adult Mental Health: Implications for Developing Interventions
Funded at Lehigh University · NIH-11359756 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A project with Lehigh University will explore how past displacement affects the mental health of older Bhutanese American immigrants and develop ideas for supportive interventions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Lehigh University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Bethlehem, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $520,275 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG089038-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11359756 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Older Bhutanese American adults, age 50 and above, living in the United States, who have experienced displacement.
✕Less likely to help
New or non-immigrant older adults or those under 50 may not benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This project will use community-based participatory research with Bhutanese American seniors to understand how past stress, language barriers, and social isolation affect mental health. It will start with qualitative work to map social support as a protective factor and create a model describing how pre-immigration experiences relate to current wellbeing. Over three years, the team will follow 200 adults aged 50+ to examine how health factors after resettlement influence mental health, using both interviews and longitudinal data. The goal is to guide future, culturally tailored interventions for this population.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could inform culturally appropriate mental health interventions for older immigrant adults, improving wellbeing and access to care.
How similar studies have gone: Prior CBPR projects with immigrant communities have yielded actionable insights and groundwork for interventions, though this specific group is under-studied.
Where this research is happening
-
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Frounfelker, Rochelle Lynn — Lehigh University
- Study coordinator: Frounfelker, Rochelle Lynn
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.