Psychosocial Counseling in Afghanistan

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The assessment intends to investigate the efficacy of psychosocial counseling for the treatment of help seeking individuals with psychosocial problems in Mazar-e-Sharif, Afghanistan. Treatment was administered by local counselors who had received specific education and training

Detailed Description
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Psychosocial stress due to conflict and war causes major mental health problems in many resource-poor countries, especially those coping with ongoing war-like conditions. There is a lack of intervention research in these population. The purpose of this assessment was to examine whether the type of psychosocial counseling developed by our group is effective in reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and significantly increasing the quality of life of help-seeking Afghans.

Conditions
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Mental Health, Stress

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Diagnosis of mental health problems by a local medical doctor Exclusion Criteria: Schizophrenia Mental retardation

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 14 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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No

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Psychosocial counseling<br>the group received annualized treatment of psychosocial counseling | |
| Medication<br>this group received medical treatment by the local medical doctor | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| HSCL 25 | Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety measured with the HSCL 25 | Symptoms were assessed at baseline | 
| HSCL 25 | Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety measured with the HSCL 25 | 3-month follow-up | 
| HSCL 25 | Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety measured with the HSCL 25 | Assessment at 12-month-follow-up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| M.I.N.I. (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) | To assess, if the patients have a current Major Depression, the depression section from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (Sheehan, & Janavs, 1998) was included | Symptoms were assessed at baseline | 
| Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism | Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism of the participants were investigated in expert interviews | Symptoms were assessed at baseline | 
| Screening for Depression | A culturally grounded assessment measure developed in close collaboration with a team of Afghan experts explored current depressive symptoms | Symptoms were assessed at baseline | 
| M.I.N.I. (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) | To assess, if the patients have a current Major Depression, the depression section from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (Sheehan, & Janavs, 1998) was included | Assessment at 3-month-follow-up | 
| M.I.N.I (Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) | To assess, if the patients have a current Major Depression, the depression section from the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (Sheehan, & Janavs, 1998) was included | Assessment at 12-month-follow-up | 
| Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism | Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism of the participants were investigated in expert interviews | Assessment at 3-month-follow-up | 
| Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism | Psychosocial stressors and coping mechanism of the participants were investigated in expert interviews | Assessment at 12-month-follow-up | 
| Screening for Depression | A culturally grounded assessment measure developed in close collaboration with a team of Afghan experts explored current depressive symptoms | Assessment at 3-month-follow-up | 
| Screening for Depression | A culturally grounded assessment measure developed in close collaboration with a team of Afghan experts explored current depressive symptoms | Assessment at 12-month-follow-up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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afghanistan, depression, anxiety, social stress, counseling, medication, psychotherapy, mental health