Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) Program: An Approach for Building Resilience and Social Support Among Flood-Impacted Children

Abstract

The present study is a pilot study to examine the initial effectiveness of the Support for Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET) program (Jaycox et al. in Support for Students Exposed to Trauma: the SSET program. Lesson plans, worksheets, and materials. TR-675, RAND, Santa Monica, CA, 2009) in reducing PTSD symptoms and building resilience and social support among children living in flood-affected rural areas of Southern Punjab, Pakistan. One hundred and ninety-three children were screened for symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and 38% met eligibility criteria. Children were then randomly assigned into experimental (n = 38) and control (n = 37) groups. The findings of the study showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms, and improvement in resilience, and perceived social support in the experimental group. The result of the study demonstrates that SSET, delivered by a clinically trained provider, may be an effective intervention for treating traumatic stress symptoms among children affected by natural disasters like flooding, particularly in under-resourced contexts. This pilot lays the initial groundwork for SSET in this context, which may ultimately be implemented by non-clinicians to address trauma-related psychological issues.