Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39711028›Full record

Trial reportEpidemiology and psychiatric sciences2024

Twelve-month follow-up of a controlled trial of a brief behavioural intervention to reduce psychological distress in young adolescent Syrian refugees.

Richard A Bryant, Rand Habashneh, Maha Ghatasheh, Aiysha Malik, Ibrahim Said Aqel, Katie S Dawson, Sarah Watts, Mark J D Jordans, Felicity L Brown, Mark van Ommeren and 1 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Epidemiology and psychiatric sciences, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Richard A BryantSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9607-819X
Rand HabashnehKing Hussein Foundation, Institute for Family Health, Amman, AMM, Jordan.
Maha GhatashehKing Hussein Foundation, Institute for Family Health, Amman, AMM, Jordan.
Aiysha MalikDepartment of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Ibrahim Said AqelKing Hussein Foundation, Institute for Family Health, Amman, AMM, Jordan.
Katie S DawsonSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
Sarah WattsKing Hussein Foundation, Institute for Family Health, Amman, AMM, Jordan.
Mark J D JordansResearch and Development Department, War Child Alliance, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Felicity L BrownResearch and Development Department, War Child Alliance, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Mark van OmmerenKing Hussein Foundation, Institute for Family Health, Amman, AMM, Jordan.
Aemal AkhtarSchool of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimsThe majority of studies of mental health interventions for young adolescents have only evaluated short-term benefits. This study evaluated the longer-term effectiveness of a non-specialist delivered group-based intervention (Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions; EASE) to improve young adolescents' mental health.

methodsIn this single-blind, parallel, controlled trial, Syrian refugees aged 10-14 years in Jordan who screened positive for psychological distress were randomised to receive either EASE or enhanced usual care (EUC). Primary outcomes were scores on the Paediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC) assessed at Week 0, 8-weeks, 3-months, and 12 months after treatment. Secondary outcomes were disability, posttraumatic stress, school belongingness, wellbeing, and caregivers' reports of distress, parenting behaviour, and their perceived children's mental health.

resultsBetween June, 2019 and January, 2020, 185 adolescents were assigned to EASE and 286 to EUC, and 149 (80.5%) and 225 (78.7%) were retained at 12 months, respectively. At 12 months there were no significant differences between treatment conditions, except that EASE was associated with less reduction in depression (estimated mean difference -1.6, 95% CI -3.2 to -0.1; p=.03; effect size, -0.3), and a greater sense of school belonging (estimated mean difference -0.3, 95% CI -5.7 to -0.2; p=.03; effect size, 5.0).

conclusionsAlthough EASE led to significant reductions in internalising problems, caregiver distress, and harsh disciplinary parenting at 3-months, these improvements were not maintained at 12 months relative to EUC. Scalable psychological interventions for young adolescents need to consider their ongoing mental health needs. Prospectively registered: ACTRN12619000341123.

Indexed as

Psychological DistressRefugeesAdolescentBehavior TherapyChildDepressionFemaleFollow-Up StudiesHumansJordanMaleMental HealthSingle-Blind MethodStress Disorders, Post-TraumaticStress, PsychologicalSyriaadolescentscontrolled trialinternalisingpsychological treatmentrefugees

Identifiers

PMID39711028
PMCPMC11735114

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Registered trials

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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.