A Lay-Led Intervention for War and Refugee Related Trauma

University of Washington

Status: Completed

Conditions: PTSD

Treatments: Behavioral: Islamic Trauma Healing

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT03502278

1R34MH112756 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

49606

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study will examine the initial efficacy and feasibility of a program called Islamic Trauma Healing by conducting a small RCT (N = 60) comparing Islamic Trauma Healing in an U.S. Somali refugee sample to a waitlist control on key targets of PTSD, depression, somatic symptoms, and quality of life. The hypothesis is that those in Islamic Trauma Healing will show a greater reduction of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and somatic symptoms and show a greater improvement in quality of well-being than those in the waitlist condition (WL).

Full description

Islamic Trauma Healing is a lay-led, small-group intervention specifically targeting healing mental wounds of trauma within mosques. The six-session intervention combines empirically supported exposure-based and cognitive restructuring techniques with Islamic principles. A lay-led, group program promotes community building, acknowledges trauma's impact in the community, and facilitates wider implementation. The program is not referred to as "therapy" or "treatment" for "mental illness." It incorporates community building (e.g., shared tea, supplication), integrated Islamic principles that utilize cognitive restructuring through discussion of prophet narratives (e.g., faith during hard times, Prophet Job [Ayyub]), and exposure therapy through individual prayer, talking to Allah about the trauma. Ultimately, the program will follow a self-sustaining train-the-trainer model, led by group leaders, empowering lay leaders to facilitate healing in their communities. Further, training time is dramatically reduced to two, 4-hour training sessions, focusing on teaching skills of group discussion leading rather than training as a lay therapist or mental health counselor. Preliminary data from a community sample and from initial men's and women's groups show a strong perceived need and match with the Islamic faith, with large effects obtained for pre- to post-group across measures (g = 0.76-3.22). Qualitative analysis identified the intervention as operating on potential mechanisms of connectedness to the community, faith integration, healing, and growth. The preliminary data point to the program being well-received and offering a promising model for delivery of a trauma-focused intervention to Muslim communities. The next steps are examining Islamic Trauma Healing in a RCT, further isolating mechanisms of change, and ascertaining feasibility for wider dissemination studies.

Enrollment: 101 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Experienced a DSM-5 trauma at least 12 weeks ago
• Report current re-experiencing or avoidance symptoms
• Somali background
• Islamic faith
• 18-65 year of age

Exclusion criteria

• Immediate suicide risk, with intent or plan
• Cannot understand consent/visible cognitive impairment

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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101 participants in 2 patient groups

PTSD lay-led group treatment program

Active Comparator group

Description:

This group will go through the Islamic Trauma Healing Program

Treatment:

Behavioral: Islamic Trauma Healing

Waitlist

No Intervention group

Description:

Waitlist