A Brief Cognitive Intervention After Intrusive Memories of Trauma With Young Refugees

Karolinska Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Intrusive Memories of Trauma, Symptom of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Criterion B1)

Treatments: Behavioral: Brief cognitive intervention

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03525158

2017/978-31

Details and patient eligibility

About

This research study is designed to investigate the use of a simple cognitive task (a memory cue and 10 minute time gap, followed by playing the computer game "Tetris") for decreasing the number of intrusive memories of trauma among young refugees and asylum seekers. The design is a single case experimental AB design with or without optional replication (ABAB). Participants will aim to complete a no-intervention phase ('A': baseline phase) of one week followed by a one-week intervention phase ('B'), including a one-session intervention with a researcher comprising the simple cognitive task, followed by instructions to continue to use the technique self-guided in the subsequent week. Follow ups are conducted after each week to monitor the occurrence of intrusive memories of trauma in a pen-and-paper diary. It is predicted that participants will report fewer intrusive memories during the intervention phase than during the preceding baseline phase.

Enrollment: 4 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 16 to 25 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Refugee or asylum seeker
• Experiencing intrusive memories of trauma
• Have access to a smartphone
• Able to speak or read the study material in Swedish, English or Arabic
• Able to attend three meetings with a researcher

Exclusion criteria

• Exhibit psychotic symptoms or other symptoms of severe mental illness

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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4 participants in 1 patient group

Baseline phase ('A') and Intervention phase ('B')

Other group

Description:

Baseline phase ('A'): Measurements collected in a pen-and-paper diary four times a day (morning, afternoon, evening and night) over one week for the primary outcome (occurrence of intrusive memories of trauma). Individual baseline phases will be used as control periods. Intervention phase ('B'): A one-session intervention with a researcher including a simple cognitive task (a memory cue, 10 minutes time gap and ca. 20 minutes of Tetris game-play) followed by instructions to engage in the task self-guided over the subsequent week. Measurements collected in a pen-and-paper diary four times a day over one week following the intervention for the primary outcome (occurrence of intrusive memories of trauma).

Treatment:

Behavioral: Brief cognitive intervention