Clinical trial NCT02671487: Mind-Body Skills Groups for Behavioral and Emotional Problems in War-Traumatized Male Adolescents in Gaza
Official title: Mind-Body Skills Groups for Behavioral and Emotional Problems in War-Traumatized Male Adolescents in Gaza
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Problem Behavior
Aggression
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Keywords: Problem Behavior
Aggression
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Adolescents
Lead sponsor: The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2016-02-02
Enrollment: 115
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 14
Maximum age (years): 17
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: The purpose of this study is to determine whether war-traumatize male adolescents with behavioral and emotional problems who participate in mind-body skills groups will have improvement in behavioral and emotional problems, aggression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, compared to a wait list control group.

Detailed description: Mind-body skills incorporate meditation, guided imagery, breathing techniques, autogenic training, biofeedback, genograms, and self-expression through words, drawings, and movement in a small group setting. These groups have been used in war-traumatize populations in Kosovo, Gaza and the United States. This study will be investigating the effect of the mind-body skills groups on boys with behavioral and emotional problem at a high school in Gaza to determine if there is improvement in behavioral and emotional problems, aggression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. The results will be compared to a control high school with boys who will not be attending mind-body skills groups and who have experienced similar levels of trauma and also have behavioral and emotional problems.

The mind-body skills groups will be held for 2 hours once a week for 10 weeks and then once a month for 10 months. Measures will be taken at baseline, after the 10 week mind-body skills group program and again at 10 month follow-up.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Criteria for eligibility for the study will include having a baseline self-reported score of 18 points or higher on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire which indicates high to very high levels of emotional and behavioral problems

Exclusion Criteria:

* None

Primary outcomes:
measure: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to the end of the 10 week program (Post)
measure: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from the end of the 10 week program (Post) to 10 month-follow up
measure: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to 10 month follow-up after the program ends
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The Aggression Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to the end of the 10 week program (Post)
measure: The Aggression Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from the end of the 10 week program (Post) to 10 month-follow up
measure: The Aggression Questionnaire
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to 10 month follow-up after the program ends
measure: PTSD Checklist-5
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to the end of the 10 week program (Post)
measure: PTSD Checklist-5
timeFrame: Change from the end of the 10 week program (Post) to 10 month-follow up
measure: PTSD Checklist-5
timeFrame: Change from Baseline to 10 month follow-up after the program ends
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Gaza City
country: Palestinian Territory, occupied
facility: The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
state: Remal Area
Study officials:
affiliation: The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
name: Jamil A Atti, MS
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References: