Video NET With CYP Who Witnessed Domestic Violence

University of Nottingham5 enrolled

Overview

Research suggests that children and young people (CYP) who witness domestic violence are susceptible to develop Post-traumatic stress (PTS). As their traumatic experiences are often repeated and prolonged, these CYP are likely to present with 'complex trauma' presentations, which also include other difficulties such as depressive symptoms and problems in functioning. This study aims to investigate whether Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) delivered via videoconferencing can be effective, feasible, and acceptable for CYP who witnessed domestic violence. NET is a brief, evidence-based intervention for complex trauma which has been adapted for CYP. The study will use a 'single case study series' design and look at whether NET can impact on PTS, psychological distress, and functioning. It will also look at the processes of change within NET and participants' experience of the therapy. Young people aged 12-17 who are experiencing PTS after exposure to domestic violence will be recruited from the waiting lists of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services in Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. Up to six participants will receive six to ten weekly video sessions and the changes in the outcomes will be explored before, during and after NET. Finally, participants will be interviewed about their experiences. The study is part of a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology programme and funded by Health Education England. Potential benefits include investigating NET with a new group, contributing to the research on complex trauma interventions for CYP, and providing insights on the effectiveness and acceptability of therapies via video.

The purpose of the study is to investigate the potential effectiveness, feasibility, acceptability and putative mechanisms of change of video NET with children and young people who witnessed domestic violence. The primary objective of the study is to evaluate whether video NET can reduce PTS in this group. The secondary objectives of the study are: * To determine whether video NET can also impact on general psychological distress and functioning; * To examine the putative mechanisms of change within NET, i.e. habituation and integration of trauma memories; * To explore the feasibility and acceptability of video NET.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Interventions

Narrative Exposure TherapyOTHER

NET is a trauma-focused psychological treatment for people who experienced multiple traumas (Schaeur et al., 2011). An adaptation named KIDNET was developed for use with children and young people (Neuner et al., 2008; Schauer et al., 2011, 2017). Participants will be offered 6-10 weekly sessions of NET lasting approximately 90 minutes each. The sessions will be delivered by a Trainee Clinical Psychologist via videoconferencing, in line with the UK's Government guidelines around reducing face-to-face contacts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 12 YearsMax age: 17 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria - Participants must: * Be aged 12- 17; * Have witnessed domestic violence in the past; * Be experiencing clinical levels of post-traumatic stress, as assessed by a member of the CAMHS team; * Be on the waiting list to receive trauma-focused treatment; * If 16 or over, be able to consent to take part, as assessed by a member of the CAMHS team; * If under 16, have at least one person with parental authority who can consent for them. These young people will also be asked to provide their assent; * Be able to communicate verbally and speak English; * Have access to a device with a webcam and Internet broadband to enable participation in video sessions; * Have access to a mobile device, e.g. a smartphone or a tablet. Can be the same as the device above. Exclusion Criteria - Participants will be excluded from the study if: * They have a known diagnosis of Intellectual Disability; * They have a current high level of risk including of self-harm, suicide or current exposure to domestic violence, as assessed by a member of the CAMHS team; * They are substance dependent.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in PTS symptoms between the baseline, NET intervention, and 1-month follow-up phases - as assessed by the Children's Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-13; Perrin et al., 2005)

The CRIES is a brief self-report questionnaire assessing PTS in children and young people aged 8-18. The original version of the scale (CRIES-8) includes 8 items evaluating intrusion and avoidance symptoms; a longer version (CRIES-13) comprising 5 additional items was developed to include the assessment of hyperarousal symptoms. The young person completing the scale is asked to rate each item depending on how frequently they experienced the symptom in the past week on a four-point scale . Although the CRIES is not a diagnostic instrument, higher scores suggest higher levels of PTS and likely clinical caseness. The scale has demonstrated good face and construct validity and has been used to screen and capture symptom change in children exposed to a variety of traumatic events (Perrin et al., 2005; Smith et al., 2003).

Time frame: Throughout the study, for approximately 18 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Change in pyschological distress and functioning between the baseline, NET intervention, and 1-month follow-up phases - as assessed by the Young Person's Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (YP-CORE; Twigg et al., 2009)

The YP-CORE has been adapted from the CORE-10 for use with children and young people between 11 and 16 years. The scale is a session-by-session monitoring tool comprising items assessing anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, physical problems, functioning and risk to self. The YP-CORE includes six high severity items and four low severity items. When completing the YP-CORE, the young person rates the 10 items based on how often they experienced each problem over the past week (0 = "Not at all", 1 = "Only occasionally", 2 = "Sometimes", 3 = "Often", 4 = "Most or all of the time"). Previous studies have demonstrated the scale's reliability, validity and sensitivity to change (Twigg et al., 2009; Twigg et al., 2016).