Trauma and Truth Interventions (NET) Versus Conflict Resolution and Social Skills Trainings for Vulnerable Youths in Northern Uganda

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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More than 300,000 children are fighting in armed conflicts all over the world. In Uganda an estimated number of 25,000 children have been abducted and forced to fight or work as porters and sex slaves on the side of the rebels during the conflict between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan government. Each year, thousands of former child soldiers have returned to their communities after they had fled or were freed from the rebels. It is well known that a high percentage of these youths are suffering from mental health problems. This could be one of the possible reasons why they are facing difficulties to reintegrate into their communities. The main aim of the proposed project is two-fold. On the one hand, the investigators want to systematically explore the relationship between mental health and important variables for reintegration into the communities like aggression, hostility, feelings of revenge, compromises and conflict behaviour and readiness for reconciliation in formerly abducted and other vulnerable youth (orphans, child mothers and handicapped youths) in Northern Uganda. On the other hand, the investigators want to probe the efficacy of existing and newly developed interventions for formerly abducted and other vulnerable youths that are supposed to foster their mental well-being as well as their reintegration into the society and therewith are part of the long-term prevention of new conflicts in Northern Uganda.

Official Title
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Effects of Trauma-Therapy and Truth Education, Conflict Resolution and Social Skills Trainings and Traditional Ways of Coping in Northern Uganda

Conditions
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PTSD, Depression, Aggression

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: NET Truth Education
* Behavioral: Conflict Resolution and Social Competence Skills
* Behavioral: Traditional Ways of Coping


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: for individual NET Treatment: PTSD diagnosis for group interventions: all youths in the selected vocational training centres will be included

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 12 Years
Maximum Age: 30 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: NET Truth Education<br> | Behavioral: NET Truth Education<br>* Individual Narrative Exposure and Truth Education in Groups<br>|
| Experimental: Conflict Resolution Trainings<br> | Behavioral: Conflict Resolution and Social Competence Skills<br>* Conflict Resolution and Social Competence Skills in Groups<br>|
| Experimental: Traditional Methods<br> | Behavioral: Traditional Ways of Coping<br>* Methods Collected by Local Teachers to Help Vulnerable Children and Youths in Northern Uganda<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PTSD Symptoms and Functional Level |  | 6-months and 12-months follow-up | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Aggression Reconciliation Re-Integration Conflict and Compromise Behaviour |  | 6-months and 12-months follow-up | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Vulnerable Youths in Northern Uganda, Formerly Abducted Children, Reintegration and Reconciliation, Trauma Treatment, Narrative Exposure Therapy, Reconciliation, Revenge Feelings