Va Meh Du: A Sports-based Mental Health Promotion Intervention for Karenni Refugees

University of North Carolina, Greensboro60 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if a soccer program focused on mental health positively impacts mental health in Karenni refugee young boys and men. The main questions it aims to answer are: Does mental health education provided during a sports program improve mental health coping for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Does participation in a sports-program improve social connection for Karenni refugee young boys and men? Researchers will compare those receiving mental health education to a comparison group to see if mental health education improves mental health coping skills. Participants will: Participate weekly soccer practices for 6 months Receive mental health education or comparison activities Answer questions about their health, such as their coping skills, social connection, and physical activity

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Coping Skills Social Connectedness Psychological Well Being Physical Activity

Interventions

Va Meh Du (Mental Health Education)BEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to Va Meh Du (mental health education) will receive 20-30 minutes of mental health education each week for roughly 5 weeks. Mental health education will be evidence-based, using sports psychology practices, and culturally targeted toward Karenni refugees.

Active CompartorBEHAVIORAL

Participants randomized to comparison will receive 20-30 minutes of team-building activities each week for roughly 5 weeks.

Eligibility

Sex: MALEMin age: 8 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * For child/minor participants: 8-16 years old, self-identifies as Karenni, self-identifies as a boy, speaks English, currently lives in Piedmont Triad area of NC, has parental consent, assents to participate * For adult participants--18 years of age, self-identifies as Karenni, self-identifies as a man, speaks English and Karenni, currently lives in Piedmont Triad area of NC, consents to participate, anticipates missing no more than 2 practices Exclusion Criteria: * \[for adult participants only\]: Criminal record indicating potential harm to children (i.e., convicted of a violent or sexual crime, registration in the Sex Offender Registry, Responsible Individual List, or Child Maltreatment Registry) or are expected to miss more than 2 practices

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Coping Skills

Change in engagement coping skills will be measured using Coping Strategies Inventory-Short Form for adult participants and KIDCOPE for minor participants

Time frame: From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Social Connectedness

Change in social connectedness will be measured using Social Connectedness Revised Scale for adult participants and NIH Toolbox Pediatric social relationship scales (Friendship and Loneliness) for minor participants

Time frame: From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Secondary Outcomes

Psychological Well being

Change in psychological well-being will be measured using the Flourishing Scale and WHO-5 for adult and minor participants

Time frame: From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Physical Activity

Change in physical activity will be measured via the self-report questions: "In the past 3 months, how physically active have you been?" and "In the past 6 months, how physically active have you been?" Participants will answer using a 5-point Likert Scale from 1 (Very often) to 5 (Never).

Time frame: From enrollment to end of intervention at 6 months

Va Meh Du: A Sports-based Mental Health Promotion Intervention for Karenni Refugees

Overview

Conditions

Interventions

Eligibility

Locations (1)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes

Central Contacts