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Mental Health in Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Affective Disorders
Interventions
Behavioral: Peer-to-Peer-Groupintervention
Other: Treatment as Ususal
Behavioral: Smartphone-based-Intervention
Behavioral: Gendersensitive-Groupintervention
Behavioral: Empowerment-Groupintervention
Behavioral: Adolescent-Groupintervention
Registration Number
NCT03109028
Lead Sponsor
Charite University, Berlin, Germany
Brief Summary

The objective of this study is to investigate a stepped and collaborative care model (SCCM) for adolescent and adult refugees suffering from depression living in Germany.

Detailed Description

A prospective, cluster-randomized intervention study, conducted in seven German cities and comprising a total of 476 patients, should compare effectiveness and efficiency of this SCCM as compared to a 'Treatment as Usual' (TAU) condition. The fundamental principle of the examined care model is to provide patients with mild and moderate depression with accessible and affordable treatments, which are located outside the usual psychiatric-psychotherapeutic institutions (e.g. peer-to-peer-approaches or smartphone based interventions).

The acquired insights from the stepped care model, as well as concerning the individual low barrier interventions for adolescents and adults, can be used immediately for benefitting the provision of care of refugees but also for improving care of other communities with lacking access to health care systems. The generated disease figures from the nationwide screening process can be utilized directly to manage the provision of mental health fostering offers for refugees by federal institutions and social health insurance companies.

In both treatment arms (SCCM and TAU) and independent of intervention form participants will be assessed at four time periods after the initial screening process: Baseline (T1), after week 12 (T1), after week 24 (T2), after week 48 (T3).

Following clinical measurement tools will be used at all time periods:

* Refugee Health Screener (RHS-15)

* Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9)

* Patient Health Questionnaire-Adapted (PHQ-A) \*

* Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Scale (MÅDRS)

* Mannheimer Modul Ressourcenverbrauch (MRV)

* Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)

* General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE)

* World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-BREF)

* Child \& Adolescent Trauma Screening (CATS)\*

Following clinical measurement tools will be used at Baseline (T1):

* Demographics / Migration Questionnaires

* M.I.N.I. International Neuropsychiatric Interview

* M.I.N.I. KID International Neuropsychiatric Interview\*

* Harvard Trauma Questionnaire (HTQ)

Following clinical measurement tools will be used at Baseline (T0) and after Post-Intervention (T1):

* Cultural Differences Subscale

* Credibility / Expectancy Questionnaire

Following clinical measurement tools will be used at Baseline (T0), after Post-Intervention (T1) and Follow-Up 1 (T3):

- Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ)

\*Adolescents only

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
584
Inclusion Criteria
  • Obtained a statutory health insurance
  • Approved residence status as a refugee, asylum seeker or asylee
  • Mother tongue in Arabic or Farsi/Urdu or speaks English or German fluently
  • Age between 16-65 years
  • Participants shows relevant depressive symptoms measured by the PHQ-9 or PHQ-A
Exclusion Criteria
  • An existing schizophrenia or degenerative disorder
  • Missing informed consent
  • Possible suicidality
  • Uncertain residence status

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Stepped and Collaborative Care ModellPeer-to-Peer-GroupinterventionA stepped and collaborative treatment model with varying stepped psychotherapeutic interventions for adult and adolescent refugees.
Treatment as UsualTreatment as UsusalRegular standard psychiatric health care including all feasible interventions including medication, psychotherapy and social work.
Stepped and Collaborative Care ModellSmartphone-based-InterventionA stepped and collaborative treatment model with varying stepped psychotherapeutic interventions for adult and adolescent refugees.
Stepped and Collaborative Care ModellGendersensitive-GroupinterventionA stepped and collaborative treatment model with varying stepped psychotherapeutic interventions for adult and adolescent refugees.
Stepped and Collaborative Care ModellAdolescent-GroupinterventionA stepped and collaborative treatment model with varying stepped psychotherapeutic interventions for adult and adolescent refugees.
Stepped and Collaborative Care ModellEmpowerment-GroupinterventionA stepped and collaborative treatment model with varying stepped psychotherapeutic interventions for adult and adolescent refugees.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Depression severity measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9)Baseline,12, 24 and 48 weeks after randomization

Significant reduction in depression severity as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire - 9 (PHQ-9) from baseline to post intervention in the experimental condition (SCCM) compared to the active control condition (TAU)

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Response and remission rates measured by the Mannheimer Modul Ressourcenverbrauch (MRV)Baseline, 12, 24 and 48 weeks after randomization

Exploreing the superiority of broader effectiveness parameters, such as response and remission rates measured by the MRV between the SCCM and TAU condition.

Traumatic events measured by the Child and Adoleszent Trauma Screening (CATS)Baseline, 12, 24 and 48 weeks after randomization

Significant reduction in emotional stress experienced by traumatic experiences as measured by the Child and Adoleszent Trauma Screening (CATS) in adolescents refugees from baseline to post intervention in the experimental condition (SCCM) compared to the active control condition (TAU)

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Central Institute of Mental Health

🇩🇪

Mannheim, Germany

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