Trial reportPLoS neglected tropical diseases2015
A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Brief Intervention for Delayed Psychological Effects in Snakebite Victims.
Trial report in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 23 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
23 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Disability as a neglected outcome of neglected tropical diseases: A systematic review.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Pooled it
- Outcomes in intervention research on snakebite envenomation: a systematic review.F1000Research · 2022Pooled it
- Effectiveness and acceptability of brief psychoeducational interventions after potentially traumatic events: A systematic review.European journal of psychotraumatology · 2021Pooled it
- Multiple session early psychological interventions for the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2019Pooled it
- Psychological Treatments for the World: Lessons from Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Annual review of clinical psychology · 2017Pooled it
- Evaluation of long-term consequences among snakebite survivors in rural Kenya including validation of a functional limitations assessment tool.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2026Article
- The bridge relationships of PTSD and depression symptoms among snakebite victims: a cross-sectional community-based survey.BMC psychology · 2024Article
- The Chinese guideline for management of snakebites.World journal of emergency medicine · 2024Article
- Snakebite envenoming at MSF: A decade of clinical challenges and antivenom access issues.Toxicon: X · 2023Article
- Uniting behind a common goal: Collaboration between traditional healers and allopathic health care workers to improve rural snakebite care.Toxicon: X · 2022Article
- Stigma, psychosocial and economic effects of yaws in the Philippines: an exploratory, qualitative study.Tropical medicine and health · 2022Article
- What the snake leaves in its wake: Functional limitations and disabilities among snakebite victims in Ghanaian communities.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2022Article
- Snakebite victim profiles and treatment-seeking behaviors in two regions of Kenya: results from a health demographic surveillance system.Tropical medicine and health · 2022Article
- Chronic health effects and cost of snakebite.Toxicon: X · 2021Article
- Dealing with snakebite in rural Cameroon: A qualitative investigation among victims and traditional healers.Toxicon: X · 2021Article
- Mental health conditions after snakebite: a scoping review.BMJ global health · 2020Article
- Interventions for the management of snakebite envenoming: An overview of systematic reviews.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Review
- Challenges and prospects of snake antivenom supply in sub-Saharan Africa.PLoS neglected tropical diseases · 2020Article
- Circumstances and Consequences of Snakebite Envenomings: A Qualitative Study in South-Eastern Costa Rica.Toxins · 2020Article
- Long-term Effects of Snake Envenoming.Toxins · 2019Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
11 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundSnakebite results in delayed psychological morbidity and negative psycho-social impact. However, psychological support is rarely provided to victims.
aimTo assess the effectiveness of a brief intervention which can be provided by non-specialist doctors aimed at reducing psychological morbidity following snakebite envenoming.
methodIn a single blind, randomized controlled trial, snakebite victims with systemic envenoming [n = 225, 168 males, mean age 42.1 (SD 12.4) years] were randomized into three arms. One arm received no intervention (n = 68, Group A), the second received psychological first aid and psychoeducation (dispelling prevalent cultural beliefs related to snakebite which promote development of a sick role) at discharge from hospital (n = 65, Group B), while the third received psychological first aid and psychoeducation at discharge and a second intervention one month later based on cognitive behavioural principles (n = 69, Group C). All patients were assessed six months after hospital discharge for the presence of psychological symptoms and level of functioning using standardized tools.
resultsAt six months, there was a decreasing trend in the proportion of patients who were positive for psychiatric symptoms of depression and anxiety from Group A through Group B to Group C (Chi square test for trend = 7.901, p = 0.005). This was mainly due to a decreasing trend for symptoms of anxiety (chi-square for trend = 11.256, p = 0.001). There was also decreasing trend in the overall prevalence of disability from Group A through Group B to Group C (chi square for trend = 7.551, p = 0.006), predominantly in relation to disability in family life (p = 0.006) and social life (p = 0.005). However, there was no difference in the proportion of patients diagnosed with depression between the three groups (chi square for trend = 0.391, p = 0.532), and the intervention also had no effect on post-traumatic stress disorder.
conclusionsA brief psychological intervention, which included psychological first aid and psychoeducation plus cognitive behavioural therapy that can be provided by non-specialist doctors appeared to reduce psychiatric symptoms and disability after snakebite envenoming, but not depression or post-traumatic stress disorder.
trial registrationSri Lanka Clinical Trials Registry: SLCTR/2011/003.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.