Afghan Evacuee Resettlement for Stronger Communities (AER) (AER)

January 23, 2025 updated by: Loyola University Chicago

Culturally Responsive Intervention Incorporating AI to Promote Healthy Integration Among Afghan Evacuees in Illinois and Tennessee (Pilot Study)

Background. Under Operation Allies Welcome, approximately 88,500 Afghan evacuees have resettled in the United States (US). Evacuees face unique integration, well-being, and mental health challenges. Settlement is nationwide, including key locations of Illinois (IL) and Tennessee (TN).

Study aims. In the proposed study, investigators will pilot test a 3-week culturally responsive and flexible, sprint (rapid) intervention, AER (Afghan Evacuee Resettlement) for Stronger Communities, with Afghan evacuees in IL and TN. A beta version of the first-ever AI platform, Dost, for Afghan evacuees will also be tested. Innovation. This is the first flexible and culturally responsive intervention and AI app created for Afghan evacuees to be delivered in English and Dari.

Up-to-date data from evacuees over the past year inform this intervention. Methods. To pilot test the intervention, a randomized control trial (RCT) with an optional waitlist will be conducted with approx. 50-60 evacuees across IL and TN. Community liaisons from partner agencies will also be recruited for intervention delivery. Participants in the intervention group will also be able to access the AI platform. Evacuees and liaisons will be invited to provide feedback on the intervention and evacuees will be invited to provide feedback on the platform. Expected results. Investigators expect to test the central hypothesis of the study, that individuals who receive the sprint intervention and access the AI platform will have reduced stress outcomes (integration, social relationships, and mental health) compared to those who do not. Impact. Findings will build new evidence for migrants in Chicago and nationally. This project will also further interdisciplinary collaboration across Loyola University Chicago and beyond.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Background. Under Operation Allies Welcome, approximately 88,500 Afghan evacuees have resettled in the United States (US). Evacuees face unique integration, well-being, and mental health challenges. Settlement is nationwide, including key locations of Illinois (IL) and Tennessee (TN).

Study aims. In the proposed study, investigators will pilot test a 3-week culturally responsive and flexible, sprint (rapid) intervention, AER (Afghan Evacuee Resettlement) for Stronger Communities, with Afghan evacuees in IL and TN. A beta version of the first-ever AI platform, Dost, for Afghan evacuees will also be tested. Innovation. This is the first flexible and culturally responsive intervention and AI platform created for Afghan evacuees to be delivered in English and Dari.

Up-to-date data from evacuees over the past year inform this intervention. Methods. To pilot test the intervention, a randomized control trial (RCT) with an optional waitlist will be conducted with 50-60 evacuees across IL and TN. Community liaisons from partner agencies will also be recruited for intervention delivery. Participants in the intervention group will also be able to access the AI platform. Evacuees and liaisons will be invited to provide feedback on the intervention and evacuees will be invited to provide feedback on the platform. Expected results. Investigators expect to test the central hypothesis of the study, that individuals who receive the sprint intervention and access the AI platform will have reduced stress outcomes (integration, social relationships, and mental health) compared to those who do not. Impact. Findings will build new evidence for migrants in Chicago and nationally. This project will also further interdisciplinary collaboration across Loyola University Chicago and beyond.

The project is closely aligned with the priorities of the Schreiber Venture Fund that funded the pilot testing. Ultimately, findings will also lay the foundation for a future R01 NIH grant and have transdisciplinary implications.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

52

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Illinois
      • Chicago, Illinois, United States, 60611
        • Loyola University

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

  1. 18 years old or older, resettled to US post-2021 from Afghanistan
  2. speaks English or Dari
  3. has access to smart phone.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: AER Intervention
Intervention participants are provided with a 3 week rapid intervention.
Behavioral: AER for Stronger Communities
3 week rapid intervention aimed at reducing stress.
Placebo Comparator: Control
Control participants are provided access to short videos across the same 3 week period.
Other: Placebo Comparator
3 week short video program (control)

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Stress reduction
Time Frame: Weeks 0, 1, 2,3, 4-week follow up

Reduced stress as measured by PSS-4 instrument (0=never, 1=almost never, 2=sometimes, 3=fairly often, 4=very often

*some scoring and questions were modified to make them culturally responsive.
Weeks 0, 1, 2,3, 4-week follow up
Integration
Time Frame: Weeks 0, 1, 3, 4-week follow up

IPL Integration Index (1 to 5, 1 low, and 5 is high); Economic self-efficacy (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 3=agree, 5=strongly agree)

*some scoring and questions were modified to make them culturally responsive.
Weeks 0, 1, 3, 4-week follow up
Healthy Relationships
Time Frame: Weeks 0, 2, 3, 4-week follow up

Healthy relationships as measured by Relationship Assessment Scale (1=low, 2, 3, 4, 5=high); Brief Family Relationship Scale (1=strongly disagree, 2=disagree, 3=neutral, 4=agree, 5=strongly agree); Gender role beliefs scale (1=strongly agree, 2=moderately agree, 3=slightly agree, 4=undecided, 5=slightly disagree, 6=moderately disagree, 7=strongly disagree.

*some scoring and questions were modified to make them culturally responsive.
Weeks 0, 2, 3, 4-week follow up
Emotional Wellbeing
Time Frame: Weeks 0, 3, 4-week follow up

Emotional wellbeing as measured by Post-migration stress scale (1=never, 2=seldom, 3=sometimes, 4=often, 5=very often), brief Cope inventory (1=haven't been doing this at all, 2=been doing a little bit, 3=doing this a medium amount, 4=doing this a lot)

*some scoring and questions were modified to make them culturally responsive.
Weeks 0, 3, 4-week follow up
Psychological distress
Time Frame: Weeks 0, 1, 2,3, 4-week follow up

Kessler-6 to measure psychological distress (1=all of the time, 2=most of the time, 3=some of the time, 4=a little of the time, 5=none of the time)

*some scoring and questions were modified to make them culturally responsive.
Weeks 0, 1, 2,3, 4-week follow up

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Loyola University Chicago

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

September 5, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

December 19, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

December 19, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 10, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 15, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

March 25, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 23, 2025

Last Verified

January 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • Project# 3964

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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