Abstract
Informal caregivers with a migration background who care for someone with a mental illness often experience elevated caregiver burdens due to factors such as discrimination, language barriers, and stigma. In The Netherlands, a peer education intervention called ‘They Are not Mental?!’ (TANM) addresses these challenges by reducing stigma, increasing help-seeking behaviors, and improving access to healthcare. This transdisciplinary study evaluates how contextual factors and mechanisms influence its outcomes. This research protocol outlines a realist evaluation of the intervention using a mixed-methods design, including interviews, post-questionnaires, and observations. The study will develop and refine the program theory to determine for whom, in what contexts, why, and how the intervention works.