Khat Use Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
The research project will offer psychotherapeutic treatment to Somali refugees with PTSD and comorbid khat dependence. In this case series, evidence-based techniques will be applied and adapted to the cultural background of Somali refugees in Kenya.
Detailed description
More than 500.000 Somali refugees live in Kenya. This group is especially burdened by high rates of exposure to traumatic events, high prevalence of PTSD and a high comorbidity with substance use disorders, mainly related to khat (catha edulis). There's a shortage of literature on psychotherapeutic methods that are applicable in this group. The aim of this case series is to develop modifications of standard therapeutic techniques to the Somali culture and to the needs of this group. Twenty successive cases will be recruited from a community clinic where refugees often seek for treatment because of psychiatric problems. Senior level psychotherapists will apply and adapt techniques and approaches like Community Reinforcement Approach (CRA), Relapse Prevention (RP), and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET); all sessions will be video recorded. Regular supervision with external experts and group discussions will be held to evaluate and adapt the single procedures and techniques. The aim of this study is the development of a standardized approach that can be used in a Randomized Controlled Trial which will be conduced in the future.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALIntegrated Psychotherapeutic Intervention
Evidence-based standard tools for the treatment of PTSD and comorbid khat dependence: Community Reinforcement Approach, Relapse Prevention, Narrative Exposure Therapy
Sponsors
Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (AFRIMEB)
University of Konstanz
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
MALE
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
PTSD (DSM-IV) Khat Dependence (DSM-IV)
Exclusion criteria
Severe Psychotic Disorder Suicidality Mental Disability
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Posttraumatic Stress Diagnostic Scale (PDS) | 3 months | Pre-post change of self-reported PTSD-symptom severity |
| Time-Line Follow Back(TLFB) | 3 months | Pre-post change of self-reported days with khat use |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL) | 3 months | Pre-post change of self-reported depressive symptoms |
Countries
Kenya
Outcome results
None listed