Mindfulness-Based Trauma Recovery for Refugees (MBTR-R): Randomized Waitlist-Control Evidence of Efficacy and Safety
Year: 2020
Type: preprint
Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial
Abstract: Refugees and asylum seekers often suffer from trauma- and stress-related mental health problems. We thus developed Mindfulness-Based Trauma Recovery for Refugees (MBTR-R) – a 9-week, mindfulness-based, trauma-sensitive and socio-culturally adapted, group intervention for refugees and asylum seekers. We conducted a randomized waitlist-control study testing its efficacy and safety among a community sample of 158 Eritrean asylum seekers (46.2% female) with a severe trauma history and chronic post-migration stress. Relative to waitlist-controls, MBTR-R demonstrated significantly reduced rates and symptom severity of PTSD, depression, anxiety and multi-morbidity at post-intervention and 5-week follow-up. Therapeutic effects were not dependent on key demographics, trauma history severity, or post-migration living difficulties. Finally, there was no evidence of adverse effects or lasting clinically significant deterioration in monitored outcomes. The brief intervention format, group-based delivery, and limited attrition indicate that MBTR-R may be a feasible, acceptable, readily implemented and scalable mental health intervention for refugees and asylum seekers.
Institution: University of Haifa
Language: English
Topic: Migration, Health and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W4285674497