Overview
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if mind-body skills groups can reduce posttraumatic stress disorder and emotional and behavioral problems in war-traumatized adolescents in Gaza.
The main questions it aims to answer are:
- Do mind-body skills groups reduce posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in war-traumatized adolescents in Gaza?
- Do mind-body skills groups reduce emotional and behavioral problems in war-traumatized adolescents in Gaza?
Researchers will compare the results of adolescents who do not attend mind-body skills groups to adolescents who attend mind-body skills groups see if those who attend groups have less posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems.
Participants will:
- Be screened to determine whether they qualify to be in the study
- If they qualify, they will attend 5 mind-body skills group sessions (if they are not in the control group)
- Fill out research packets before the first session, after the last session, and at 2-month follow-up.
Eligibility
Inclusion Criteria:
- being 11-17 years old and living in Gaza
- having experienced a political violence or war-related criterion A stressor
- meeting the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-(DSM-5-TR) criteria for PTSD according to the screening cut-off score on the Child PTSD Symptom Scale-5 (CPSS-5).
Exclusion Criteria:
- former psychotherapy or medication to treat mental disorders
- having significant cognitive impairment.