RESPOND: Improving the Preparedness of Health Systems to Reduce Mental Health and Psychosocial Concerns Resulting From the COVID-19 Pandemic (RESPOND)
Psychological Distress
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Psychological Distress focused on measuring mental health, psychological symptoms, resilience, wellbeing
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- 18 years or older;
- Living in Italy as asylum seeker, refugee, or migrant
- Having elevated levels of psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) >15.9).
- Sufficient mastery (written and spoken) of one of the languages the DWM/PM+ intervention is being delivered in (e.g. English, Italian).
- Oral and written informed consent before entering the study.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Planning to permanently move back to their home country before the last quantitative assessment at 2 months after PM+;
- Having acute medical conditions (requiring hospitalization);
- Imminent suicide risk, or expressed acute needs or protection risks that require immediate follow-up;
- Having a severe mental disorder (e.g. psychotic disorders, substance-dependence);
- Having severe cognitive impairment (e.g. severe intellectual disability or dementia);
- Currently receiving specialized psychological treatment (e.g. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing - EMDR; Cognitive behavioural therapy - CBT);
- In case of current psychotropic medication use: being on an unstable dose for at least 2 months
Sites / Locations
- Università di VeronaRecruiting
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Experimental
Other
Psychological First Aid + Stepped-care intervention (DWM/PM+)
Psychological First Aid + usual care
All participants will be offered individual Psychological First Aid (PFA), a WHO developed support strategy that involves humane, supportive and practical help for individuals suffering from serious humanitarian crises. The treatment group will receive the stepped-care program consisting of DWM (step 1) and Problem Management Plus (PM+). The DWM program has been developed by WHO and collaborators working in the humanitarian field. DWM was designed to be relevant for large segments of adversity-affected populations: it is intended to be transdiagnostic, and easily adaptable to different cultures and languages. PM+ is a new, brief, psychological intervention program based on cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques that are empirically supported.
All participants will be offered individual Psychological First Aid (PFA), a WHO developed support strategy that involves humane, supportive and practical help for individuals suffering from serious humanitarian crises. In addition, both the groups will receive care-as-usual (CAU); they will be allowed to receive any usual care. CAU may include community care, social/legal support, and psychoeducation.