Randomized Controlled Trial of the Effectiveness of Group Treatment With War-Exposed Bosnian Adolescents

Overview

Context: This is the first multi-site randomized controlled study of the effectiveness of a group treatment for war-exposed adolescents delivered in-country within a public school system. Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a trauma/grief-focused group treatment program in reducing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and traumatic grief in war-exposed Bosnian youths attending 10 secondary schools located in Central Bosnia.

Design: A randomized controlled trial conducted during the 2000-2001 school year, with 4-month follow-up, compared group treatment to a psychoeducation/skill-based school milieu intervention. Setting and Participants: Students attending 10 Bosnian secondary schools exposed to severe trauma, traumatic loss, and severe adversity, reporting severe persisting symptoms of PTSD, depression, or traumatic grief, and functional impairment. Intervention: Students were randomly assigned to either 17-session Trauma and Grief Component Therapy (n=71), or a school milieu intervention (n=73), both conducted by trained school counselors.

Conditions