UMass Worcester PRC Publications
UMMS Affiliation
UMass Worcester Prevention Research Center; Department of Medicine, Division of Preventive and Behavioral Medicine
Publication Date
2015-12-21
Document Type
Article
Disciplines
Community Health | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | International Public Health | Mental and Social Health | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychology | Public Health
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Growing evidence supports the use of Western therapies for the treatment of depression, trauma, and stress delivered by community health workers (CHWs) in conflict-affected, resource-limited countries. A recent randomized controlled trial (Bolton et al. 2014a) supported the efficacy of two CHW-delivered interventions, cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and brief behavioral activation treatment for depression (BATD), for reducing depressive symptoms and functional impairment among torture survivors in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
METHODS: This study describes the adaptation of the CHW-delivered BATD approach delivered in this trial (Bolton et al.2014a), informed by the Assessment-Decision-Administration-Production-Topical experts-Integration-Training-Testing (ADAPT-ITT) framework for intervention adaptation (Wingood and DiClemente, 2008). Cultural modifications, adaptations for low-literacy, and tailored training and supervision for non-specialist CHWs are presented, along with two clinical case examples to illustrate delivery of the adapted intervention in this setting.
RESULTS: Eleven CHWs, a study psychiatrist, and the CHW clinical supervisor were trained in BATD. The adaptation process followed the ADAPT-ITT framework and was iterative with significant input from the on-site supervisor and CHWs. Modifications were made to fit Kurdish culture, including culturally relevant analogies, use of stickers for behavior monitoring, cultural modifications to behavioral contracts, and including telephone-delivered sessions to enhance feasibility.
CONCLUSIONS: BATD was delivered by CHWs in a resource-poor, conflict-affected area in Kurdistan, Iraq, with some important modifications, including low-literacy adaptations, increased cultural relevancy of clinical materials, and tailored training and supervision for CHWs. Barriers to implementation, lessons learned, and recommendations for future efforts to adapt behavioral therapies for resource-limited, conflict-affected areas are discussed.
Keywords
Adaptation, behavioral activation, depression, task shifting, trauma
Rights and Permissions
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015.
DOI of Published Version
10.1017/gmh.2015.22
Source
Glob Ment Health (Camb). 2015 Dec;2. pii: e24. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Global mental health (Cambridge, England)
Related Resources
PubMed ID
27478619
Repository Citation
Magidson JF, Lejuez CW, Kamal T, Blevins EJ, Murray LK, Bass JK, Bolton P, Pagoto SL. (2015). Adaptation of community health worker-delivered behavioral activation for torture survivors in Kurdistan, Iraq. UMass Worcester PRC Publications. https://doi.org/10.1017/gmh.2015.22. Retrieved from https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/prc_pubs/55
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Included in
Community Health Commons, Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, International Public Health Commons, Psychiatry and Psychology Commons, Psychology Commons