Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Reducing Suicidal Ideation in Economically Distressed Migrants (Brief CBT)

August 1, 2025 updated by: Jamal D. Magantor, Bath Spa University Academic Centre RAK

The Efficacy of Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Brief CBT) in Reducing Suicidal Ideation Among Economically Distressed Migrant Workers in the Middle East: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial assessed the efficacy of an 8-session, culturally adapted Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Brief CBT) compared to Treatment as Usual (TAU) in reducing suicidal ideation among economically distressed migrant workers in the United Arab Emirates. Participants (N=120) were randomized to receive Brief CBT or TAU. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 4-weeks, 8-weeks, and 3-month follow-up.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Economically distressed migrant workers face high psychosocial stress, resulting in increased suicidal ideation. This study examined the effectiveness of culturally adapted Brief CBT in addressing suicidal ideation, depression, anxiety, stress, and financial distress compared to standard treatment resources provided as usual.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

120

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

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

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age between 18 to 65 years.
  • Migrant worker residing in the UAE with a valid work or residence visa.
  • Experiencing significant economic distress (score of ≤40 on the InCharge Financial Distress/Financial Well-Being Scale - IFDFW).
  • Presence of suicidal ideation, defined as a score ≥1 on the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS).
  • Able to communicate effectively in English, Arabic, or Tagalog.
  • Willing and able to provide informed written consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Acute psychosis, severe substance dependence, or immediate suicide risk requiring hospitalization.
  • Cognitive impairment limiting therapy participation.
  • Currently engaged in structured psychotherapy for depression or suicidality.

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: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Brief CBT
Participants assigned to this arm received an 8-session culturally adapted Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Brief CBT). Sessions addressed crisis stabilization, cognitive restructuring, problem-solving related to financial stressors, behavioral activation, emotion regulation skills, relapse prevention, and linkage to community resources. Sessions were delivered weekly, either individually (60 minutes) or in groups (90 minutes), based on participant preference.
Behavioral: Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Participants received an 8-session culturally adapted Brief Cognitive Behavioral Therapy intervention targeting suicidal ideation, psychological distress, and financial stress. Therapy included crisis stabilization, cognitive restructuring of maladaptive thoughts related to economic hardship, behavioral activation, problem-solving skills for financial and psychosocial stressors, and emotion-regulation training. It concluded with relapse prevention planning and connection to supportive community resources. Sessions were delivered weekly, either individually (60 minutes) or in groups (90 minutes), based on participant preference.
No Intervention: Treatment as Usual (TAU)
Participants assigned to this arm received standard community resources and information without structured therapeutic intervention. They were provided with a comprehensive multilingual list of available mental health services, crisis support hotlines, and financial counseling resources accessible in the UAE. Participants were free to access these services independently, without active facilitation or structured guidance by the research team. This arm represents the standard of care typically available to economically distressed migrant workers experiencing mental health difficulties in the region.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Reduction in Suicidal Ideation Severity (Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation; BSS)
Time Frame: Baseline, 4 weeks (mid-treatment), 8 weeks (post-treatment), and 3-month follow-up
Change in the severity of suicidal ideation as measured by the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation (BSS), a 19-item clinician-rated scale that assesses suicidal thoughts, plans, and wishes during the past week. Scores range from 0 to 38, with higher scores indicating greater suicidal ideation severity.
Baseline, 4 weeks (mid-treatment), 8 weeks (post-treatment), and 3-month follow-up

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

Bath Spa University Academic Centre RAK

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Helpful Links

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)

January 10, 2024

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 15, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

November 25, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

August 1, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 1, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

August 8, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

August 8, 2025

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

August 1, 2025

Last Verified

August 1, 2025

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • BSU-RAK-PSYCH - 2025-0008

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

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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