Controlled Trial of Mental Health Interventions for Torture Survivors in Kurdistan

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Depression
• Interventions: Behavioral: Behavioral Activation; Behavioral: Cognitive Processing Therapy; Behavioral: nonspecific counseling

• Registration Number: NCT00925262
• Lead Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine the relative effectiveness of three different mental health counseling interventions in the treatment of mental health problems commonly affecting torture and trauma survivors living in Kurdistan, Iraq.

Detailed Description

See above

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2009-06
• Study First Submitted: 2009-06-03
• Study First Submitted QC: 2009-06-19
• Study First Posted: 2009-06-22
• Primary Completion: 2010-02
• Study Completion: 2011-10
• Status Verified: 2013-05
• Last Update Submitted: 2013-05-01
• Last Update Posted: 2013-05-03

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 530

Inclusion Criteria

• at least 18 years old
• Kurdish
• torture survivor
• currently has significant depression symptomatology.

Exclusion Criteria

• danger to self or others
• already receiving treatment from our treatment provider
• not mentally competent to provide informed consent.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Behavioral Activation	Behavioral Activation	A form of counseling therapy that emphasizes enhancing pleasurable behaviors and minimizing negative behaviors as a means to reducing depression symptomatology.
Cognitive Processing Therapy	Cognitive Processing Therapy	An adaptation of cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing on treatment for persons suffering mental health effects of trauma
non-specific counseling	nonspecific counseling	a collection of counseling skills suitable for a broad range of mental health and psychosocial problems and not designed for specific disorders. This particular version was developed by a collaborator -Heartland Alliance - for use with torture survivors.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
depression symptom severity	3-6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
traumatic grief symptom severity	3-6 months
posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity	3-6 months
ability to carry out routine tasks and activities	3-6 months
anxiety symptom severity	3-6 months

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

multiple public health clinics across Kurdistan; 🇮🇶 Dohuk, Sulaimani, Erbil, rural areas, ALL, Iraq