Abstract
Background: Preventative and treatment programs for people at risk of developing psychological problems after exposure to war trauma have mushroomed in the last decade. However, there is still much contention about evidence-based and culturally sensitive interventions for children. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Teaching Recovery Techniques in improving the emotional and behavioral outcomes of war-affected children resettled in Australia.Methods and Findings: A cluster randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up design was employed. A total of 82 participants (aged 10–17 years) were randomized by school into the 8-week intervention (n = 45) or the waiting list (WL) control condition (n = 37). Study outcomes included symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as psychosocial functioning. A medium intervention effect was found for depression symptoms. Participants in the intervention condition experienced a greater symptom reduction than participants in the WL control condition, F(1, 155) = 5.20, p = 0.024, partial η2 = 0.07. This improvement was maintained at the 3-month follow-up, F(2, 122) = 7.24, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.20.Conclusions: These findings suggest the potential benefit of the school and group-based intervention on depression symptoms but not on other outcomes, when compared to a waiting list control group.Trial Registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12611000 948998.
Highlights
Much literature on the well-being of children directly or indirectly affected by war-related trauma has consistently recorded the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disorders (Barenbaum et al, 2004; Attanayake et al, 2009)
The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Teaching Recovery Techniques in improving the emotional and behavioral outcomes of war-affected children resettled in Australia
Participants in the intervention condition experienced a greater symptom reduction than participants in the WL control condition, F(1, 155) = 5.20, p = 0.024, partial η2 = 0.07. This improvement was maintained at the 3-month follow-up, F(2, 122) = 7.24, p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.20. These findings suggest the potential benefit of the school and group-based intervention on depression symptoms but not on other outcomes, when compared to a waiting list control group
Summary
Much literature on the well-being of children directly or indirectly affected by war-related trauma has consistently recorded the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other disorders (Barenbaum et al, 2004; Attanayake et al, 2009). There is still ambiguity surrounding the percentage of children who develop PTSD resulting from exposure to war trauma. Bronstein and Montgomery (2011) systematically reviewed 22 recent epidemiological studies and found 19–54% of the children scored above the clinical cutoff score for PTSD. Preventative and treatment programs for people at risk of developing psychological problems after exposure to war trauma have mushroomed in the last decade.
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