Investigating the potential of a novel internet-based cognitive behavioural intervention for Dari and Farsi speaking refugee youth: A feasibility study

Lindegaard, T (通讯作者),Linkoping Univ, Dept Behav Sci & Learning, SE-58183 Linkoping, Sweden.
2022-4
Objective: Over half of the world's forcibly displaced persons are under the age of 25, with many suffering from symptoms of psychological disorders. Many refugees from Afghanistan or Iran speak either Dari or Farsi, which are mutually intelligible dialects of the Persian language. Previous research on adult refugees and immigrants have shown that internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) can be a valuable complement to other forms of treatment. However, there is a lack of knowledge if ICBT is a feasible and acceptable treatment for adolescents and young adults with a refugee background. Method: Fifteen Dari/Farsi-speaking adolescents and young adults between 15 and 26 years of age participated in a feasibility study of a novel individually tailored guided ICBT intervention targeting symptoms of common mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Self-reported symptoms of anxiety and depression were assessed using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25) as the primary outcome measure. Four of the treatment participants and three additional non-treatment participants consented to be interviewed regarding the programme's acceptability. The interviews were analysed using Thematic Analysis. Results: The intervention suffered from low adherence, with only 3 participants completing the post-treatment assessment and with participants completing 0.9 modules on average, which meant that the intended quantitative analysis of the pre to post change was not possible. The thematic analysis resulted in two overarching categories, barriers and facilitators, that each contained four themes and related subthemes. Overall, the intervention was deemed culturally relevant and easy to understand. The most salient barriers to participation across interviews concerned interference of symptoms such as concentration difficulties, low energy, and a lack of human contact and support. Conclusion: The current version of the ICBT program demonstrated low feasibility and acceptability in the target population, which mainly seemed to be related to the delivery format. Future studies should investigate if a blended treatment format with regular phone/video calls with a therapist can increase adherence to the intervention.
INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH
卷号:28
收录类别:SCIE
语种
英语
来源机构
Linkoping University; Mid-Sweden University; Karolinska Institutet; Linkoping University; Trinity College Dublin
资助机构
Swedish Research Council(Swedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission)
资助信息
The present study was supported by a grant from the Swedish Research Council, Development and evaluation of internet-supported treatment for recently arrived children and adolescents with psychiatric problems. We also want to thank Anahita Armin Abdulrasool and Amjad AbuLeil for help with translating and adapting the treatment and our webmaster George Vlaescu for help with the treatment platform.
被引频次(WOS)
1
被引频次(其他)
1
180天使用计数
0
2013以来使用计数
1
EISSN
2214-7829
出版年
2022-4
DOI
10.1016/j.invent.2022.100533
学科领域
循证公共卫生
关键词
Culturally adapted psychotherapy Internet-based treatment Adolescents Feasibility Acceptability
WOS学科分类
Psychology, Clinical Health Care Sciences & Services Medical Informatics Psychiatry