RCT of post-conflict trauma interventions in the Central African Republic

Area of Science:

• Global Mental Health
• Psychological Interventions
• Post-Conflict Recovery

Background:

• Scant mental health resources in post-conflict settings pose significant challenges.
• Addressing trauma, depression, and anxiety is critical for recovery in affected populations.
• The Central African Republic (CAR) faces substantial mental health needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of a trauma reduction intervention in a low-resource, post-conflict setting.
• To compare the trauma intervention with an active control group and a waitlist control.
• To assess the sustainability of intervention effects at a 3-month follow-up.

Main Methods:

• Randomized crossover control group design with 298 participants in Bangui, CAR.
• Intervention groups received trauma reduction or peace/values education workshops.
• Data collected via interviews at baseline, post-intervention, and 3-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• The trauma reduction intervention significantly decreased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and trauma compared to the waitlist control.
• The active control group (peace/values education) yielded comparable outcomes to the trauma intervention.
• Both interventions showed sustained, though diminished, effects at 3-month follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Two practical approaches can effectively address mental health symptoms in post-conflict, low-resource environments.
• The comparable outcomes suggest shared therapeutic elements in both interventions.
• Findings support the implementation of accessible mental health support in similar settings.