Child, family and psychotrauma – is a systemic perspective needed?

Number

Assigned to session

0.03 On air, 29-09-2023, 13:30 - 14:45

Field of research

Child & adolescent
Refugee or war & conflict related traumatic stress
Complex PTSD, comorbidities, grief
(Sub)clinical interventions or treatment (innovations)

Overview of symposium

In this symposium the focus is on the effectiveness of psychological treatment approaches for vulnerable groups of children and adolescents. First, Merel Velu will present the first results of a RCT among refugee children 8-18 years old who arrived with at least one caregiver in the Netherlands. Then, Iris van Dijk introduces her study protocol to test an online CBT based protocol for grief in children and adolescents. And in a third contribution Carlijn van Es will present directions for treatment approaches for unaccompanied refugee minors (URM’s) based on recent empirical studies.

Authors

No participants found...

Effective trauma treatment for refugee children: a randomized controlled trial

Merel Velu¹, Marieke Sleijpen¹, Carlijn De Roos², Trudy Mooren³
¹ARQ Centrum'45
²Levvel AMC
³ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre

Summary

Background: Prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in refugee children is reportedly higher (19.0 - 52.7%), in comparison to the general population (15.9%). Research examining the effects of trauma-focused therapies for refugee children with PTSD is highly needed. Both Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and the child version of Narrative Exposure Therapy (KIDNET) have been used for refugees. Although results are promising, intervention studies focusing on traumatized refugee children are not only scarce, but also often methodologically weak. The aim of the current study is to investigate the effectiveness of EMDR and KIDNET, compared to a waitlist control group, offered to refugee children 8-18 years.

Methods: A randomized controlled three-arm trial has been conducted (N=96). The primary outcome is PTSD diagnosis and symptom severity assessed with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for Children DSM-5 (CAPS-CA-5) at baseline (T1), 1-month post-treatment, or after 8 weeks of waiting (T2), and 3 months follow-up (T3) in children who forcibly migrated to the Netherlands accompanied by at least one adult family member.

Results: The first outcomes of treatment, and effect sizes will be presented; the entire data collection will be finished in October 2023 (N=96).

Authors

Merel Velu

Marieke Sleijpen

Carlijn De Roos

Trudy Mooren

Study protocol for online grief-specific CGT for youths who lost a loved one due to a traffic accident

Iris Van Dijk¹, Paul Boelen^{1, 2}, Lonneke Lenferink³
¹Utrecht University
²ARQ National Psychotrauma Center
³University of Twente

Summary

Background

Youths who lose a loved one are at risk of developing symptoms of prolonged grief (PG), posttraumatic stress (PTS) and depression. Grief-specific CBT is effective in reducing symptom-levels of PG, PTS, and depression for bereaved children. For several psychological symptoms, there is evidence that online formats of CBT can be effective. In the current study, the potential effectiveness of online grief-specific CBT will be studied in children and adolescents bereaved due to a traffic accident.

Methods

Eligible for participation are children and adolescents (8-18 years) who lost a loved one due to a traffic accident, at least six months earlier, and who report clinically relevant levels of PG, PTS, and/or depression. A sequential replicated and randomized A-B-phase design will be conducted, with a baseline (minimum three and maximum seven weekly measurement occasions) and a treatment phase (the online CBT with nine weekly measurement occasions). PG will be measured weekly and PTS and depression before and after the baseline phase, and after treatment.

Conclusion

In order to remove significant barriers for bereaved families to reach out for help, it is valuable to develop online grief-specific CBT. The current study will provide insight into the potential effectiveness of the intervention.

Authors

Iris Van Dijk

Paul Boelen

Lonneke Lenferink

Contributing to posttraumatic health of unaccompanied refugee minors

Carlijn Van Es¹, Marieke Sleijpen¹, Merel Velu^{1, 2}, Trudy Mooren^{3, 2}
¹ARQ Centrum'45
²Utrecht University
³ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre

Summary

Background

Unaccompanied refugee minors arrive in increasing numbers from a variety of countries in the Netherlands. Mostly they are between 14-17 years old, but sometimes they are very young, 9 or 10 years old. NIDOS the agency for legal guardians takes care of their housing and basic needs. Their mentors and legal guardians observed that many of these young refugees have been exposed to serious violence and need mental health care. In this presentation, findings derived from several empirical studies, part of a recent dissertation, will shed light on not only the needs of this group but also on the opportunities that healthcare professions have to meet these needs.

Conclusion

Based on empirical evidence the clinical and scientific awareness of both needs and opportunities to improve mental health care services for URM’s as a vulnerable population is of utmost importance.