1. Empowerment group therapy for refugees with affective disorders: results of a multicenter randomized controlled trial
- Author
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Maren Wiechers, Michael Strupf, Malek Bajbouj, Kerem Böge, Carine Karnouk, Stephan Goerigk, Inge Kamp-Becker, Tobias Banaschewski, Michael Rapp, Alkomiet Hasan, Peter Falkai, Andrea Jobst-Heel, Ute Habel, Thomas Stamm, Andreas Heinz, Andreas Hoell, Max Burger, Tilmann Bunse, Edgar Hoehne, Nassim Mehran, Franziska Kaiser, Eric Hahn, Paul Plener, Aline Übleis, and Frank Padberg
- Subjects
Refugees ,affective disorders ,depression ,group therapy ,global mental health ,Psychiatry ,RC435-571 - Abstract
Abstract Background Against the background of missing culturally sensitive mental health care services for refugees, we developed a group intervention (Empowerment) for refugees at level 3 within the stratified Stepped and Collaborative Care Model of the project Mental Health in Refugees and Asylum Seekers (MEHIRA). We aim to evaluate the effectiveness of the Empowerment group intervention with its focus on psychoeducation, stress management, and emotion regulation strategies in a culturally sensitive context for refugees with affective disorders compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU). Method At level 3 of the MEHIRA project, 149 refugees and asylum seekers with clinically relevant depressive symptoms were randomized to the Empowerment group intervention or TAU. Treatment comprised 16 therapy sessions conducted over 12 weeks. Effects were measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MÅDRS). Further scales included assessed emotional distress, self-efficacy, resilience, and quality of life. Results Intention-to-treat analyses show significant cross-level interactions on both self-rated depressive symptoms (PHQ-9; F (1,147) = 13.32, p
- Published
- 2023
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