@article {4766, title = {Improving outcomes for caregivers through treatment of young people affected by war: a randomized controlled trial in Sierra Leone}, journal = {Bull World Health Organ}, volume = {93}, number = {12}, year = {2015}, note = {McBain, Ryan K
Salhi, Carmel
Hann, Katrina
Kellie, Jim
Kamara, Alimamy
Salomon, Joshua A
Kim, Jane J
Betancourt, Theresa S
eng
Randomized Controlled Trial
Switzerland
2015/12/17 06:00
Bull World Health Organ. 2015 Dec 1;93(12):834-41. doi: 10.2471/BLT.14.139105. Epub 2015 Oct 16.}, month = {Dec 1}, pages = {834-41}, abstract = {OBJECTIVE: To measure the benefits to household caregivers of a psychotherapeutic intervention for adolescents and young adults living in a war-affected area. METHODS: Between July 2012 and July 2013, we carried out a randomized controlled trial of the Youth Readiness Intervention--a cognitive-behavioural intervention for war-affected young people who exhibit depressive and anxiety symptoms and conduct problems--in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Overall, 436 participants aged 15-24 years were randomized to receive the intervention (n = 222) or care as usual (n = 214). Household caregivers for the participants in the intervention arm (n = 101) or control arm (n = 103) were interviewed during a baseline survey and again, if available (n = 155), 12 weeks later in a follow-up survey. We used a burden assessment scale to evaluate the burden of care placed on caregivers in terms of emotional distress and functional impairment. The caregivers{\textquoteright} mental health--i.e. internalizing, externalizing and prosocial behaviour--was evaluated using the Oxford Measure of Psychosocial Adjustment. Difference-in-differences multiple regression analyses were used, within an intention-to-treat framework, to estimate the treatment effects. FINDINGS: Compared with the caregivers of participants of the control group, the caregivers of participants of the intervention group reported greater reductions in emotional distress (scale difference: 0.252; 95\% confidence interval, CI: 0.026-0.4782) and greater improvements in prosocial behaviour (scale difference: 0.249; 95\% CI: 0.012-0.486) between the two surveys. CONCLUSION: A psychotherapeutic intervention for war-affected young people can improve the mental health of their caregivers.}, keywords = {Adolescent, Adult, Anxiety/therapy, Caregivers/*psychology, Cognitive Therapy/*methods, Conduct Disorder/therapy, Depression/therapy, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Linear Models, Male, Psychiatric Status Rating Scales, Psychotherapy, Sierra Leone, Stress, Psychological/*psychology, Treatment Outcome, Warfare, Young Adult}, isbn = {1564-0604 (Electronic)
0042-9686 (Linking)}, author = {McBain, R. K. and Salhi, C. and Hann, K. and Kellie, J. and Kamara, A. and Salomon, J. A. and Kim, J. J. and Betancourt, T. S.} }