Clinical trial NCT05651737: App-based Psychosocial Intervention to Enhance Quality of Life in Arabic-speaking Refugees Residing in Switzerland
Official title: Efficacy of an Unguided or Peer-guided App-based Psychosocial Intervention to Enhance Quality of Life in Arabic-speaking Refugees Residing in Switzerland: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Quality of Life
Stigma, Social
Depression
PTSD
Anxiety
Lead sponsor: University of Bern
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Swiss Transfusion SRC
name: Freie Universität Berlin
First posted: 2022-12-15
Enrollment: 170
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: The ongoing warfare and economic instability in the Middle East and in North Africa causes many people to leave their home countries. Arrived in a host countries, in this example, in Switzerland, they face a lot of structural and psychosocial hurdles. Particularly in the first years, building up a certain quality of life is complicated and challenging. To support this process, the Swiss Red Cross and the University of Bern have developed the Sui app. It contains structural and social information as well as low-intensity psychological tools to provide support to the everyday life of Arabic-speaking people in Switzerland.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* At least 18 years old
* Arabic as native or second language
* Good knowledge of reading, writing and speaking Arabic
* Have lived in Switzerland for no longer than 5 years
* Give written consent
* Have access to a smartphone and an internet connection
* Indicate an emergency contact whom they could contact in event of a crisis

Exclusion Criteria:

* Indicate an increased risk of self-harm or suicide at baseline
* Indicate having been diagnosed with psychosis or bipolar disorder
* Be participating in a similar study at baseline
* Have a lack of written and spoken Arabic skills

Primary outcomes:
measure: Well-being at baseline
timeFrame: Baseline
measure: Well-being at post-intervention timepoint
timeFrame: Post (after 8 weeks)
measure: Well-being at follow-up timepoint
timeFrame: Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Satisfaction with the treatment
timeFrame: Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: Self-stigma
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: PTSD symptoms
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: Somatic symptoms
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: Anxiety symptoms
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: Depressive symptoms
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
measure: Post migration stressors
timeFrame: Baseline, Post (after 8 weeks), Follow-Up (after 16 weeks)
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Bern
country: Switzerland
facility: University of Bern
state: BE
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Bern
name: Thomas Berger, Prof. Dr.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: