Effectiveness of a trauma-focused group intervention for young refugees: a randomized controlled trial

As access to evidence-based treatments for young refugees with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) is limited, we developed the trauma-focused group intervention Mein Weg to be delivered by trained social workers. A recently published pilot study delivered preliminary evidence of the intervention with regard to symptom reduction and its feasibility. The aim of this study was, therefore, to determine whether the intervention, in addition to usual care (UC), is more effective in reducing PTSS (primary outcome) compared to UC alone.

A parallel group randomized controlled trial was conducted in seven German child and adolescent welfare agencies. Participants were randomly assigned to either six sessions Mein Weg (n = 50; M_age  = 17.00, 94% male) or UC (n = 49; M_age  = 16.92, 92% male). Mixed effect models, with fixed effects of group and time as well as their interaction, were performed on the relevant outcome measures. This trial was registered in the German Clinical Trials Registry (#DRKS00010915, https://www.drks.de/drks_web/).

Intention-to-treat analyses showed that Mein Weg was significantly superior to UC regarding symptom improvement of self-reported PTSS (Mein Weg: d = .61, UC: d = .15) and depression (Mein Weg: d = .63, UC: d = -.06), but not regarding caregiver-reported symptoms and self-reported dysfunctional posttraumatic cognitions.

Mein Weg is effective for young refugees according to self-reports and can be viewed as a valuable component in a stepped care approach for this vulnerable population. The findings need to be replicated with independent clinical assessments.