Lay-Led Intervention for War and Refugee Trauma: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Area of Science:

• Mental Health Research
• Refugee Studies
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• The global refugee crisis disproportionately impacts Muslim communities, leading to trauma and mental health challenges.
• Existing psychotherapies face barriers in refugee uptake and often lack cultural appropriateness.
• Culturally sensitive interventions are crucial for addressing the mental health needs of displaced populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH), a brief, lay-led, mosque-based intervention.
• To adapt empirically supported cognitive behavioral principles for a culturally specific refugee mental health program.
• To improve mental health and well-being among trauma-exposed refugees.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 101 Somali refugees in the US with Criterion A trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms.
• Participants received either Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH) or a waiting list (WL) control.
• Intervention involved psychoeducation, religious narratives, prayer, cognitive restructuring, and imaginal exposure, delivered by lay leaders.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions in PTSD severity (d=-0.67) and depression (d=-0.66) were observed in the ITH group compared to WL.
• Improvements in quality of well-being (d=0.71) were noted, with gains maintained at 12-week follow-up.
• The ITH intervention was perceived as consistent with religious and cultural practices and promoted community reconciliation.

Conclusions:

• Brief, lay-led, mosque-based Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH) is a superior and effective intervention for refugee trauma.
• ITH demonstrates potential as a scalable and accessible mental health solution for trauma-affected Muslim refugees.
• The intervention successfully integrates Islamic principles with empirically supported psychological treatments.