Aggressive Behaviour, Days Spent at the Landfill, Parental Maltreatment, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Conditions
Brief summary
Children living at the landfills of Bujumbura are often exposed to maltreatment, including emotional neglect and physical abuse, and traumatic experiences. Furthermore, they grow up in severe poverty. Addressing trauma-related mental health issues and aggressive behaviour by Narrative Exposure Therapy (FORNET), familial communication by family visits, interaction difficulties of children by a group intervention, poverty by financial support and economic training for mothers, medical problems by medical assistance, legal conflicts by legal advice, and providing access to school, we aimed at reintegrating those children within the Burundian school system and improving familial relationships. The investigators want to provide evidence, that mental health interventions are an integral part of assisting children and families affected by poverty and violence.
Interventions
1. A group intervention once a week for about 20 weeks, including psychoeducation on mental health and drug abuse, anger management, roles within families, developing plans for the future, communication skills, sex education. 2. Access to schools and school material 3. Family visits 4. Their parents received training regarding agriculture and microcredit projects, and financial assistance 5. FORNET if affected by trauma-related symptoms, and/or acting aggressive 6. If needed medical assistance /.) If needed, legal assistance
Sponsors
Vivo international e.V.
Psychologues sans Frontières Burundi
Université Lumière de Bujumbura
University of Konstanz
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
7 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Spending days at the landfills of Bujumbura
Exclusion criteria
* Psychotic symptoms
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change of load of traumatic symptoms measured via the University of California at Los Angeles Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Reaction Index (scale administered by Clinicians) | baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up | 27 items assessing PTSD, 4 additional items assessing dissociation on a scale from 0 - 4. Due to scoring rules, total sum score ranges from 0 to 80; sub scale intrusion: 0 - 20; sub scale avoidance: 0 - 8; sub scale negative cognitions: 0 - 28; sub scale hyperarousal: 0 - 24; higher values indicate more severe PTSD symptoms; all items are summed up for the total score |
| Change of number of aggressive acts measured via an adaption of the Domestic and Community Violence Checklist | baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up | 32 items; answer categories: yes or no; sum score ranges from 0 - 32 |
| Change of experienced parental maltreatment measured via a shortened version of the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure (MACE) | baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up | total sum score ranges from 0 - 100; sum score of each sub scale ranges from 0 - 10 |
| Change of number of days spent at the landfill | baseline; 5 months follow-up; 9 months follow-up | during the last 14 days; sum ranges from 0 - 14 |
Countries
Burundi
Outcome results
None listed