Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry
Volume 10, Issue 2, 2005, Pages 235-250

School-based cognitive-behavioural therapy group intervention for refugee children who have experienced war-related trauma (Article)

Ehntholt K.A.* , Smith P.A. , Yule W.
  • a Maudsley Hosp. Inst. of Psychiat., London, United Kingdom, Maudsley Hospital, London, United Kingdom, M. Rutter Ctr. Children/Young People, Maudsley Hospital, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AZ, United Kingdom
  • b Maudsley Hosp. Inst. of Psychiat., London, United Kingdom, Institute of Psychiatry, Child Traumatic Stress Clinic, Maudsley Hospital, London, United Kingdom
  • c Maudsley Hosp. Inst. of Psychiat., London, United Kingdom, Child Traumatic Stress Clinic, Maudsley Hospital, London, United Kingdom, Dept. of Applied Child Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, United Kingdom, Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom, Foundation for Children and War

Abstract

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a school-based group intervention designed for children who have experienced trauma. Twenty-six children (aged 11-15 years) who were refugees or asylum-seekers from war-affected countries participated. The manual-based intervention consisted of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) techniques and was implemented within secondary schools. The treatment group (n = 15) received six sessions of group CBT over a 6-week period, while the control group (n = 11) were placed on a waiting list for 6 weeks and then invited to enter treatment. Children in the CBT group showed statistically significant, but clinically modest improvements following the intervention, with decreases in overall severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Significant improvements were also found in overall behavioural difficulties and emotional symptoms. Children in the waiting list control group did not show any improvements over the same period. However, follow-up data, which were only available for a small subset of eight children, suggest that gains in the CBT group were not maintained at 2-month follow-up. Copyright © 2005 SAGE Publications.

Author Keywords

Children Refugees school PTSD Group CBT

Index Keywords

evaluation refugee general condition improvement high school behavior therapy follow up human war controlled study group therapy cognitive therapy school child Treatment Outcome Adolescent male female clinical article symptom Article experience emotion behavior disorder United Kingdom disease severity psychotrauma
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-17644396034&doi=10.1177%2f1359104505051214&partnerID=40&md5=94fdb85e8143e45820878b506d9c21e9
DOI: 10.1177/1359104505051214
ISSN: 13591045
Cited by: 124
Original Language: English