Comprehensive Evaluation of Global Mental Health Study Abroad in Switzerland
Abigail Wang
New York University ajw9837@nyu.edu
Overview
Linda Han The New School kims5@newschool.edu
The Constortium of Forced Migration, Displacement, and Education (CFMDE) is one of the first multi-campus initiatives in the United States to explicitly train undergraduate students to engage with migration and displacement from multiple disciplinary and pedagogical approaches. This evaluation examines the impact of a short-term Global Mental Health (GMH) study abroad program in Switzerland on undergraduate participants and graduate mentors from all five cohorts (2019-2024). Led by The New School Center for Global Mental Health and the CFMDE, the Bern Program immerses students in real-world psychosocial support contexts shaped by forced migration, displacement, and systemic inequity.
Guiding questions for in-depth interviews sought to address the following: What personal and professional growth occurred through the program? How can study abroad programs uniquely support underrepresented students in workforce readiness?
KeyTakeaways
There is immense value in pre-professional summer study abroad programs that bring together students from multiple campuses at no financial cost to support a well-rounded liberal arts education:
1.Meaningful connections between theory and practice not only prepare students to navigate complex interdisciplinary environments and adapt existing knowledge to different contexts.
2.In increasingly dynamic political and social contexts, creating equitable pathways to international experiences is essential for diversifying who shapes the future of global health.
3.Investing in sustained relationships that create a close-knit network of scholars collectively aiming to improve global health counteracts systemic barriers to opportunity and leadership development.
TheCurriculum
Psychological First Aid (PFA) Training
and
Dissemination:
Students were trained in an evidence-informed model of PFA adapted from the WHO and Red Cross for use in humanitarian contexts and higher education. The training provided students with basic helping skills to identify psychological distress, offer immediate support, and connect individuals to resources. Students applied these skills to different contexts by co-facilitating PFA trainings for staff at asylum centers and emergency departments in Switzerland to support frontline care.
Stakeholder Meetings: Participants met with local and global representatives from organizations such as the WHO, UNHCR, IOM, Swiss Federal Office of Public Health, and the U.S. Embassy in Bern. These meetings offered insights into global and local mental health policy, asylum systems, and challenges of frontline workers to contextualize learnings on humanitarian mental health efforts and to solidify the importance of multidisciplinary, cross-sector collaboration.
Site Visits: Students visited key institutions, including international agencies in Geneva, the Zurich Asylum Center, and Salem Hospital. These visits enabled participants to observe the lived realities of displaced individuals, the structure of Swiss asylum procedures, and the integration of mental health support within public systems.
Writing and Reflection Projects: Writing assignments prompted students to synthesize their learning and apply GMH concepts to local contexts. Reflections explored questions such as: “What are the biggest challenges in the global mental health landscape, and how can local action contribute to global change?” Final projects asked students to integrate culturally responsive mental health interventions into existing infrastructure in their communities. Sample proposals from students included introducing PFA to churches in Texas or using telenovelas for mental health messaging in Latinx communities.
Mentored Seminars and Skills Workshops: Weekly workshops and seminars facilitated by psychologists and graduate students in research methods, community-based intervention design, and current issues in GMH, as well as student-led discussions on assigned readings provided a foundational basis for developing curiosity and interest in specific topics and assist students with transitions through personalized mentorship.
