BACKGROUND: Millions of @entity1 worldwide suffer from @entity1005 ( @entity1005 ) symptoms and other mental health problems due to repeated exposure to war or organized violence. Forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) are the most commonly used treatment for @entity1005 and appear to be effective for @entity1 as well, but little is known about the mechanisms of change through which they achieve their effectiveness. Here we present the study protocol of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) studying the effectiveness and mechanisms of change of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), a CBT-based, manualized, short-term intervention for @entity1005 symptoms resulting from repeated traumatization, in immigrant @entity1 traumatized by war. METHODS/DESIGN: We are conducting a multicentre, pragmatic RCT in a usual care setting. Up to 80 9-17-year-old immigrant @entity1 who have experienced war and suffer from @entity1005 symptoms will be randomized into intervention (NET) and control (treatment as usual, TAU) groups of equal sizes. The effectiveness of NET treatment will be compared to both a waiting list and the parallel TAU positive control group, on the primary outcomes of @entity1005 and @entity308 , @entity458 , resilience, and level of cognitive performance. The effects of the intervention on traumatic memories and posttraumatic cognitions will be studied as potential mechanisms of change mediating overall treatment effectiveness. The possible moderating effects of peritraumatic dissociation, level of cognitive performance, and gender on treatment effectiveness will also be considered. We hypothesize that NET will be more effective than a waitlist condition or TAU in reducing @entity1005 and other symptoms and improving resilience, and that these effects will be mediated by changes in traumatic memories and posttraumatic cognitions. DISCUSSION: The results of this trial will provide evidence for the effectiveness of NET in treating @entity130 -related symptoms in immigrant @entity1 affected by war. The trial will also generate insights into the complex relationships between @entity1005 , memory functions, posttraumatic cognitions and cognitive performance in @entity1 , and help guide the future development and implementation of therapeutic interventions for @entity1005 in @entity1 . TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02425280 . Registered 15 April 2015.

Narrative exposure therapy for immigrant XXXX traumatized by war: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial of effectiveness and mechanisms of change.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['children'] @entity308 :: ('MESH:D003866', 'Disease') :: ['depressive symptoms'] @entity458 :: ('MESH:D020018', 'Disease') :: ['psychological distress'] @entity1005 :: ('MESH:D013313', 'Disease') :: ['posttraumatic stress disorder', 'PTSD'] @entity130 :: ('MESH:D014947', 'Disease') :: ['trauma']
@entity1 :: (9606,Species) :: ['children']
