Adressing PTSD Symptoms and Aggressive Behavior in Vulnerable Children in Burundi

Treating Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Reducing Aggressive Behavior in Street Children and Vulnerable Children in Burundi Using Narrative Exposure Therapy for Forensic Offender Rehabilitation.

Children either living in the streets of Bujumbara or that are similarly affected by extreme poverty or violence are regularly exposed to traumatic events. Additionally, they often find themselves in situations where engaging in violent behavior appears to be useful or even necessary for survival. The Narrative Exposure Therapy for violent offenders (FORNET) aims to reduce both PTSD symptoms and aggressive behavior. It helps the children to anchor fearful experiences and potential positive emotions linked to violent behaviour in the past. Additionally, visions for the future are developed in order to enable reintegration into the family.

The investigators want to provide evidence, that FORNET effectively reduces PTSD symptoms and ongoing aggressive behavior which in change facilitates reintegration into society.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder; Aggressive Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Narrative Exposure Therapy for Forensic Offender Rehabilitation (FORNET)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 19
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Burundi
  • Bujumbura Mairie
    • Bujumbura, Bujumbura Mairie, Burundi
      • vivo international & Psychologues sans Frontières mental health center

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 6 years to 18 years (Child, Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• High degree of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder according to UCLA PTSD Reaction Index

Exclusion Criteria:

• Psychotic symptoms

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Experimental: FORNET; During FORNET, the client, with the assistance of the therapist, constructs a chronological narrative of his or her entire life with a focus on exposure to traumatic stress and committed violence. Empathic understanding, active listening, congruency and unconditional positive regard are key components of the therapist's behavior. The therapist asks in detail for the client's emotions, cognitions, physiological reactions, and sensory informations during traumatic and aggressive events to link them to an autobiographical context, namely time and place. In total the individuals receive 8 sessions of FORNET, every session lasting between 1.5 and 2 hours depending on the needs of the participant.

Behavioral: Narrative Exposure Therapy for Forensic Offender Rehabilitation (FORNET); FORNET aims to reduce trauma-related symptoms and aggressive behavior via narrative exposure of traumatic and violent life events.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change of load of traumatic symptoms measured via the UCLA Adolescent PTSD Index (PTSD scale administered by Clinicians)	baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Time Frame
Change of number of aggressive acts measured via an adaption of the Domestic and Community Violence Checklist	baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up
Change of experienced shame measured via the Shame Variability Questionnaire	baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Konstanz
• Collaborators: Vivo international e.V.; Psychologues sans Frontières Burundi; Université Lumière de Bujumbura

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 15, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 31, 2018
• Study Completion (Actual): January 31, 2018

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 22, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): April 13, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 13, 2018
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 12, 2018
• Last Verified: April 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders; Aggression; Stress Disorders, Traumatic; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
• Other Study ID Numbers: UKCR17

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: No

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No