Citation

Onyut LP, Neuner F, Schauer E, Ertl V, Odenwald M, Schauer M, Elbert T. BMC Psychiatry 2005; 5: 7.

Affiliation

vivo Uganda, Mbarara, Uganda. patience@vivo.org

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group - BMC)

DOI

10.1186/1471-244X-5-7

PMID

15691374

PMCID

PMC549194

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Little data exists on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for children with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that has resulted from exposure to war or conflict-related violence, especially in non-industrialized countries. We created and evaluated the efficacy of KIDNET, a child-friendly version of Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), as a short-term treatment for children. METHODS: Six Somali children suffering from PTSD aged 12-17 years resident in a refugee settlement in Uganda were treated with four to six individual sessions of KIDNET by expert clinicians. Symptoms of PTSD and depression were assessed pre-treatment, post-treatment and at nine months follow-up using the CIDI Sections K and E. RESULTS: Important symptom reduction was evident immediately after treatment and treatment outcomes were sustained at the 9-month follow-up. All patients completed therapy, reported functioning gains and could be helped to reconstruct their traumatic experiences into a narrative with the use of illustrative material. CONCLUSIONS: NET may be safe and effective to treat children with war related PTSD in the setting of refugee settlements in developing countries.

Language: en