“Online delivery gave me privacy and distance from others”: feasibility trial and qualitative evaluation of an online intervention for refugees and asylum seekers; LTP + EMDR G-TEP

This trial is the first to evaluate an online parenting intervention for refugees and asylum seekers, and it appears to be a feasible approach and an effective tool for engaging with displaced populations.

Article Abstract

“Rates of mental health difficulties are high among refugees and asylum seekers who are parents, which makes their family members vulnerable to further negative outcomes such as behavioural problems or withdrawal. Maternal health and responsive parenting can stimulate the well-being of family members. However, displaced parents may fail to fulfil this role due to their own personal emotional issues. This current study is the first trial that tested the acceptability and feasibility of a remote multicomponent parenting intervention for refugees and asylum seekers: Learning Through Play and EMDR Group Traumatic Episode Protocol. The study was a single-arm feasibility trial with an embedded qualitative component, and took place in the UK. We recruited caregivers of children under three years of age and offered eight sessions of a remote group Learning Through Play parenting intervention and Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing Group Traumatic Episode Protocol (LTP+ EMDR G-TEP). We administered assessments, including the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale, International Trauma Questionnaire, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire-9, followed by qualitative interviews. Of the 16 participants approached, 14 consented and were eligible to participate. Both qualitative and quantitative results showed the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention based on a recruitment rate of 88% of eligible participants and a 78% attendance rate for all sessions. Participants showed improvements in all outcome measures, an increase in parental self-esteem and a reduction in mental health symptoms. Findings also suggest that remote interventions are promising as a scalable approach for displaced families.”

—Description from publisher

Article Access

Open Access 

Kaptan, S. K., Varese, F., Yilmaz, B., Andriopoulou, P., & Husain, N. (2022). “Online delivery gave me privacy and distance from others”: Feasibility trial and qualitative evaluation of an online intervention for refugees and asylum seekers; LTP + EMDR G-TEP. Counselling & Psychotherapy Research. Open Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12580

About the Journal

“Counselling and Psychotherapy Research (CPR) is an innovative international peer-reviewed journal dedicated to linking research with practice. Pluralist in orientation, the journal recognises the value of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods strategies of inquiry and aims to promote high-quality, ethical research that informs and develops counselling and psychotherapy practice. CPR is a journal of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, promoting reflexive research strongly linked to practice, and aims to ensure that research remains relevant to practice, and for practice to continue to inform research development.”

—Description from publisher