Doctorate in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology, Queens University, Belfast, UK.
J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2013 Nov;54(11):1231-41. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.12094. Epub 2013 Jun 6.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been home to the world's deadliest conflict since World War II and is reported to have the largest number of child soldiers in the world. Despite evidence of the debilitating impact of war, no group-based mental health or psychosocial intervention has been evaluated in a randomised controlled trial for psychologically distressed former child soldiers.
A randomised controlled trial involving 50 boys, aged 13-17, including former child soldiers (n = 39) and other war-affected boys (n = 11). They were randomly assigned to an intervention group, or wait-list control group. The intervention group received a 15-session, group-based, culturally adapted Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) intervention. Assessment interviews were completed at baseline, postintervention and 3-month follow-up (intervention group).
Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) demonstrated that, in comparison to the wait-list control group, the TF-CBT intervention group had highly significant reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms, overall psychosocial distress, depression or anxiety-like symptoms, conduct problems and a significant increase in prosocial behaviour (p < .001 for all). Effect sizes were higher when former child soldier scores were separated for sub-analysis. Three-month follow-up of the intervention group found that treatment gains were maintained.
A culturally modified, group-based TF-CBT intervention was effective in reducing posttraumatic stress and psychosocial distress in former child soldiers and other war-affected boys.
自二战以来，刚果民主共和国（DRC）一直是世界上最致命冲突的所在地，据报道，该国拥有世界上数量最多的儿童兵。尽管有证据表明战争具有削弱作用，但在一项随机对照试验中，没有针对心理困扰的前儿童兵进行基于群体的心理健康或心理社会干预。
一项随机对照试验，涉及 50 名年龄在 13-17 岁的男孩，包括前儿童兵（n = 39）和其他受战争影响的男孩（n = 11）。他们被随机分配到干预组或等待名单对照组。干预组接受了 15 次基于群体的、文化适应的创伤焦点认知行为疗法（TF-CBT）干预。在基线、干预后和 3 个月随访（干预组）时完成评估访谈。
协方差分析（ANCOVA）表明，与等待名单对照组相比，TF-CBT 干预组的创伤后应激症状、总体心理社会困扰、抑郁或焦虑样症状、行为问题显著减少，亲社会行为显著增加（p <.001）。当从前儿童兵的分数中分离出来进行亚分析时，效果大小更高。干预组的 3 个月随访发现，治疗效果得以维持。
一种文化修正的、基于群体的 TF-CBT 干预措施在减少前儿童兵和其他受战争影响的男孩的创伤后应激和心理社会困扰方面是有效的。
