An integrated intervention to reduce intimate partner violence and psychological distress with refugees in low-resource settings: study protocol for the Nguvu cluster randomized trial

Autor: Judith K. Bass, Peter Ventevogel, Wietse A. Tol, Lusia Misinzo, M. Claire Greene, Samuel Likindikoki, Ann G. Bonz, Jessie Mbwambo
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
lcsh:RC435-571
medicine.medical_treatment
Population
Psychological distress
Tanzania
law.invention
03 medical and health sciences
Social support
Study Protocol
0302 clinical medicine
Randomized controlled trial
law
lcsh:Psychiatry
Intervention (counseling)
medicine
Humans
030212 general & internal medicine
Cluster randomised controlled trial
Psychiatry
education
education.field_of_study
Refugees
business.industry
Depression
Social Support
Advocacy
16. Peace & justice
Mental health
3. Good health
Intimate partner violence
Cognitive behavioral therapy
Psychiatry and Mental health
Mental Health
Research Design
Spouse Abuse
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Domestic violence
Health Resources
Female
Empowerment
business
030217 neurology & neurosurgery
Stress
Psychological
Clinical psychology
Zdroj: BMC Psychiatry
BMC Psychiatry, Vol 17, Iss 1, Pp 1-13 (2017)
ISSN: 1471-244X
6577-1265
Popis: Background Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a critical public health and human rights concern globally, including for refugee women in low-resource settings. Little is known about effective interventions for this population. IPV and psychological distress have a bi-directional relationship, indicating the potential benefit of a structured psychological component as part of efforts to reduce IPV for women currently in violent relationships. Methods This protocol describes a cluster randomized controlled trial aimed at evaluating an 8-session integrated psychological and advocacy intervention (Nguvu) with female adult survivors of past-year IPV displaying moderate to severe psychological distress. Outcomes are reductions in: recurrence of IPV; symptoms of anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress (primary); and functional impairment (secondary). Hypothesized mediators of the intervention are improvements in social support, coping skills and support seeking. We will recruit 400 participants from existing women’s support groups operating within villages in Nyarugusu refugee camp, Tanzania. Women’s groups will be randomized to receive the intervention (Nguvu and usual care) or usual care alone. All eligible women will complete a baseline assessment (week 0) followed by a post-treatment (week 9) and a 3-month post-treatment assessment (week 20). The efficacy of the intervention will be determined by between-group differences in the longitudinal trajectories of primary outcomes evaluated using mixed-effects models. Study procedures have been approved by Institutional Review Boards in the United States and Tanzania. Discussion This trial will provide evidence on the efficacy of a novel integrated group intervention aimed at secondary prevention of IPV that includes a structured psychological component to address psychological distress. The psychological and advocacy components of the proposed intervention have been shown to be efficacious for their respective outcomes when delivered in isolation; however, administering these approaches through a single, integrated intervention may result in synergistic effects given the interrelated, bidirectional relationship between IPV and mental health. Furthermore, this trial will provide information regarding the feasibility of implementing a structured intervention for IPV and mental health in a protracted humanitarian setting. Trial registration ISRCTN65771265, June 27, 2016. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12888-017-1338-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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