Lay Therapist Effectiveness With Displaced Persons Kurdish Iraq

NCT04684810 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Jiyan01
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 28
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Negative mental health effects of war exposure and displacement are pervasive, but many displaced persons and refugees in low-and-middle income countries lack access to evidence-based treatments. Community lay-therapists are a promising solution for the global mental health field. However, in spite of results from randomized-control trials, no research to-date has examined the external validity of community-led lay-therapist effectiveness. In this exploratory study, longitudinal data at three time points were collected from 28 Arabic-speaking displaced persons (nineteen women and nine men, ages 18-57) seeking mental health services from the Jiyan Foundation: a non-profit founded and based in Kurdish Iraq. Lay therapists trained in evidence-based treatments upon being hired operated largely independently of supervision from foreign clinicians. Participants in weekly psychotherapy completed the Posttraumatic Stress Checklist (PCL-5) and the Psychological Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) at baseline, one month, and three months, as well as a modified measure assessing traumatic exposure, purpose-in-life, and a modified Afghan Daily Stressors Scale at baseline to assess for moderators of change over time.

Conditions

Mental Health; Therapeutics

Keywords

evidence-based treatments; refugee; lay therapists; global mental health

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• PTSD Symptoms

  Measured by the PCL-5

  3 months

• Depression Symptoms

  Measured by the PHQ-9

  3 months

Study Arms (1)

Treatment Group

Participants seeking treatment completed longitudinal data

Behavioral: Community Lay Therapist-Administered EBT

Interventions

Community Lay Therapist-Administered EBT BEHAVIORAL

Community Therapists Used CBT and EMDR Interventions

Treatment Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Participants were 18-years-or-older Arabic speakers displaced from their homes in either Central/Southern Iraq or Syria and now residing in Kurdish Iraq and seeking treatment for mental health difficulties.

You may qualify if:

• Must speak Arabic fluently; must be seeking mental health services at the Jiyan Foundation

You may not qualify if:

• No Arabic proficiency; under 18 years

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of New Mexico: lead

Study Sites (1)

Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights

Erbil, Iraq

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Psychological Well-Being

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Personal Satisfaction; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: ECOLOGIC OR COMMUNITY
• Time Perspective: RETROSPECTIVE
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Principal Investigator

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 21, 2020
• First Posted: December 28, 2020
• Study Start: October 1, 2017
• Primary Completion: January 31, 2018
• Study Completion: January 31, 2018
• Last Updated: November 8, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will be available for two years after reporting and by request following.
• Access Criteria: Data is publicly available at OSF for download, or can be requested by contacting blackwell@unm.edu

Locations

IR (1)