Islamic Trauma Healing: Feasibility Study

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Interventions: Behavioral: Islamic Trauma Healing

• Registration Number: NCT03761732
• Lead Sponsor: University of Washington

Brief Summary

This study will examine the initial feasibility of a program called Islamic Trauma Healing by conducting a small feasibility study (N = 26) of Islamic Trauma Healing in Somalia on key targets of PTSD, depression, somatic symptoms, and quality of life. The hypothesis is that those in Islamic Trauma Healing will show a reduction of PTSD symptoms, depressive symptoms, and somatic symptoms and show improvement in quality of well-being. Feasibility will also be examined by examining at retention, satisfaction, and community feedback.

Detailed 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 low and moderate-income Muslim countries, examining the feasibility of implementing this lay-led program.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-10-15
• Study First Submitted: 2018-11-14
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-11-30
• Study First Posted: 2018-12-03
• Primary Completion: 2019-02-06
• Study Completion: 2019-02-06
• Results First Submitted: 2021-07-16
• Status Verified: 2023-02
• Results First Submitted QC: 2023-02-20
• Last Update Submitted: 2023-02-20
• Results First Posted: 2023-11-21
• Last Update Posted: 2023-11-21

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 28

Inclusion Criteria

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

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Exclusion Criteria

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

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Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
PTSD lay-led group treatment program	Islamic Trauma Healing	The group will go through the Islamic Trauma Healing Program

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
PTSD Scale - Self-Report for DSM-5 (PDS-5; Foa et al., 2016)	Last 1 Week	PTSD symptoms will be measured using the PTSD Scale - Self-Report for DSM-5 (PDS-5; Foa et al., 2016). Twenty items comprise the PTSD severity scale, with scores ranging from 0 to 80 and higher scores indicating higher PTSD severity. A total score is calculated.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Somatic Symptoms Scale-8 (SSS-8; Gierk et al., 2014)	Last 1 Week	The Somatic Symptoms Scale is an 8 item version of the PHQ-15; self-report assessment of somatic symptoms (e.g., stomach pain, headaches, dizziness). The current version scored items on the original PHQ-15 scale from 0 to 2, with a range from 0 to 16.
Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9; Kroenke, Spitzer, & Williams, 2001)	Last 1 Week	The PHQ-9 is a self-report measure of depression symptoms with each question rated from 0-3. Higher scores indicate greater depression severity, with scores ranging from 0 to 27.
Quality of Well-being Index	Last 1 Week	The WHO-5 Wellbeing Index (WHO-5; Bech, Olsen, Kjoller, \& Rasmussen, 2003) will be used to measure well-being. This five-item measure assesses emotional well-being on a 0-5 scale, with higher scores reflecting better well-being. Range of scores is from 0 to 25.

Trial Locations

Locations (2)

Borama Mosque; 🇸🇴 Borama, Somalia

Hargeisa Mosque; 🇸🇴 Hargeisa, Somalia