**5. Limitations**

This qualitative study has several limitations. First, it relies on self-reports as is common in qualitative research. Hence, we cannot rule out compliant or socially desirable responses. We conducted the interviews shortly after a counseling session. Hence, the interviewees may have responded in favor of the psychosocial walk-in clinic. Second, we did not examine possible culture-specific influences which may have affected our results. Cultures differ regarding gender roles [70]; therefore, it has been suggested that the professional's ethnic background and/or gender should match the patient in professional mental health settings [71]. In our study, the interviewer was female which might have affected the interviewees' responses. Further, most interviews were conducted using a telephone interpreter with whom we had no prior contact. Colucci et al. [71] pointed out that gender, age, as well as cultural and ethnic dynamics should be considered when using an interpreter. Hence, the interviewees' responses may also have been influenced by the interpreter as we were unable to match their cultural backgrounds. Third, our analysis followed Mayring's principles of the qualitative content analysis [33]. Accordingly, contentanalytical analysis units were defined before the qualitative analysis. In our study, units were defined as any statement (single or multiple sentences) referring to our key questions. This procedure may have led us to overlook other emerging themes in the interviews which were not part of the key questions. Fourth, limiting our results' generalizability, the psychosocial walk-in clinic's patients are a specific and selected group of refugees seeking help. Furthermore, we did not assess their mental health history in their country of origin or specifically record if the symptoms had occurred due to pre- and/or peri-migratory distress factors. Refugees and asylum seekers fleeing their country of origin because of limited access to mental health services are likely to be more open to mental health services in the host country.

#### **6. Conclusions**

The psychosocial walk-in clinic within the registration and reception center is perceived as an important psychosocial support offer for mentally burdened refugees in their early post-migratory distress phase. Current living conditions and post-migratory distress factors were stated as particularly burdening. The interviewees saw the therapists' attitude as a very important factor. Further training focusing on cultural differences and culturalsensitive communication could be installed to improve the offer. The refugees' positive experience of the psychosocial walk-in clinic may help them overcome internal barriers when seeking mental health treatment in the future. Nevertheless, mental healthcare literacy programs and nationwide interconnections between professionals are crucial in providing refugees with adequate access to mental healthcare offers.

**Author Contributions:** Conceptualization, C.Z., V.Z., B.D., S.C.H., R.M.K. and C.N.; Formal analysis, C.Z. and V.Z.; Investigation, V.Z.; Methodology, C.Z., V.Z. and C.N.; Supervision, C.N.; Writing original draft, C.Z. and V.Z.; Writing—review and editing, C.Z., A.C. and C.N. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

**Funding:** This research received no external funding.

**Institutional Review Board Statement:** The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Heidelberg (S-041/2017).

**Informed Consent Statement:** Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

**Data Availability Statement:** The datasets used and analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

**Conflicts of Interest:** The authors declare no conflict of interest.
