Text Size

Intervention to Support the Reintegration of Former Combatants and Soldiers

This study is ongoing, but not recruiting participants.
Sponsor:
Collaborator:
World Bank
Information provided by (Responsible Party):
Susanne Schaal, University of Konstanz
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
NCT01624987
First received: June 19, 2012
Last updated: June 25, 2012
Last verified: June 2012
History of Changes
  Purpose

The project aims to investigate if trauma-related disorders and appetitive aggression can be improved in perpetrators in Congo when a specific intervention (FORNET) is delivered by trained local personnel (phase 1). In a second step, the project aims to investigates the treatment success if this specific therapy is carried out by local personnel who have been trained by other local personnel ("train the trainer", phase 2) under the supervision of experts of the university of Konstanz.


Condition Intervention Phase
Appetitive Aggression
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
 Behavioral: Treatment for violent offenders (FORNET): a variant of Narrative Exposure Therapy
 Phase 2
Phase 3

Study Type: Interventional
Study Design: Allocation: Randomized
Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary Purpose: Treatment

Resource links provided by NLM:

U.S. FDA Resources

Further study details as provided by University of Konstanz:

Primary Outcome Measures:
  • Appetitive Aggression (Appetitive Aggression Scale) [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale, PDS) [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Secondary Outcome Measures:
  • Symtoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Functionality (Work and Social Adjustment Scale) [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  • Substance abuse [ Time Frame: 3 months ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Estimated Enrollment: 100
Study Start Date: June 2012
Estimated Study Completion Date: May 2013
Estimated Primary Completion Date: November 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure)
Arms Assigned Interventions
No Intervention: Control group Behavioral: Treatment for violent offenders (FORNET): a variant of Narrative Exposure Therapy
During the proposed therapy, the client constructs a chronological narrative of his or her whole life which includes all traumatic experiences and perpetrated violent acts. All emotions, cognitions, sensory information, and physiological reactions are activated and linked to the autobiographical context.In five sessions the trained therapist and the client try to go through all important traumatic experiences and perpetrated violent acts. The sixth session is a group session with four to five clients. The group session is oriented on Interpersonal Psychotherapy and focuses on the role change from soldier to civilian.
Experimental: Treatment for violent offenders (FORNET) Behavioral: Treatment for violent offenders (FORNET): a variant of Narrative Exposure Therapy
During the proposed therapy, the client constructs a chronological narrative of his or her whole life which includes all traumatic experiences and perpetrated violent acts. All emotions, cognitions, sensory information, and physiological reactions are activated and linked to the autobiographical context.In five sessions the trained therapist and the client try to go through all important traumatic experiences and perpetrated violent acts. The sixth session is a group session with four to five clients. The group session is oriented on Interpersonal Psychotherapy and focuses on the role change from soldier to civilian.

Detailed Description:

The reintegration of former child soldiers and ex-combatants is a big challenge in war-torn countries. Former child soldiers and ex-combatants often suffer from mental health problems and show enhanced levels of aggression. The present study focuses on the reduction of appetitive aggression and the improvement of mental health in former child soldiers and ex-combatants in DR Congo.

The project consists of four steps:

  1. Training of selected DDRRR personnel in FORNET ( a variant of Narrative Exposure Therapy to treat trauma-related disorders and to reduce appetitive aggression)
  2. Supervising the trained personnel for the start-up of their work
  3. Training of selected DDRRR personnel to be trainers of FORNET
  4. Facilitating a supervision and peer-intervision structure for psychological treatment of former combatants The treatment effect will be measured by pre-post and 3-months follow-up evaluations.
  Eligibility

Ages Eligible for Study:   18 Years to 70 Years
Genders Eligible for Study:   Male
Accepts Healthy Volunteers:   Yes
Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Ex-combatants who live in a transit camp in Goma, Congo.

Exclusion Criteria:

  Contacts and Locations
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01624987

Locations
Congo
Transit Camp for ex-combatants/Reintegration camp for ex-combatants (ETN)
Goma, Congo
Sponsors and Collaborators
University of Konstanz
World Bank
Investigators
Study Director: Thomas Elbert, Prof. Dr. University of Konstanz
  More Information

No publications provided

Responsible Party: Susanne Schaal, University of Konstanz
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01624987     History of Changes
Other Study ID Numbers: WB_2012
Study First Received: June 19, 2012
Last Updated: June 25, 2012
Health Authority: Germany: Ethic Commission

Keywords provided by University of Konstanz:
Treatment of ex-combatants
Narrative Exposure Therapy for ex-combatants
Appetitive Aggression
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Aggression
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorders, Traumatic
 Behavioral Symptoms
Anxiety Disorders
Mental Disorders

ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on June 17, 2013