Group Engagement's Role in the Efficacy of a Group Trauma Intervention

Last registered on January 17, 2025

Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Group Engagement's Role in the Efficacy of a Group Trauma Intervention
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0015200
Initial registration date
January 14, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
January 17, 2025, 6:54 AM EST

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Locations

Region

Primary Investigator

Affiliation
Harvard University

Other Primary Investigator(s)

Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2024-01-01
End date
2025-01-31
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
This study examines the impact of group trauma interventions on mental health and educational outcomes in Zimbabwean children, with a particular focus on the role of stigma in shaping these effects. Despite high rates of child trauma in low-income countries, there is limited causal evidence linking trauma interventions to long-term educational attainment. Using a randomized controlled trial, the study evaluates the efficacy of RiverCross’s trauma-focused children’s program, comparing classrooms receiving audio drama sessions alone to those supplemented with discussion-based activities. By addressing the dual goals of trauma recovery and stigma reduction, the research explores how group discussions foster resilience, improve mental health, and shift societal norms. The study also examines heterogeneity in program effectiveness based on group closeness, trauma severity, and baseline stigma. Findings aim to inform scalable, culturally sensitive approaches to mitigating the socioeconomic impacts of trauma in resource-limited settings.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Michel, Grace. 2025. "Group Engagement's Role in the Efficacy of a Group Trauma Intervention." AEA RCT Registry. January 17. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.15200-1.0
Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
Intervention (Hidden)
Intervention Start Date
2024-02-01
Intervention End Date
2024-06-01

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Depression, PTSD, Self-esteem, loneliness, hope, gender attitudes, school attendance, school test scores
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
The pilot includes 480 pupils from 24 classrooms (form 1, 2, and 3), 12 schools, and three districts (Harare, Makonde, and Zvimba). 8 classrooms are control classrooms, meaning that pupils in these classrooms are not participating in the Freedom Clubs. In another 8 classrooms, 8 teachers have been trained on how to run a club but will not be implementing the program in their school at this time. In the final 8 classrooms, teachers have been trained on how to run the program and are implementing the program between February and May 2024.

For their Freedom Clubs, RiverCross staff train school teachers and leaders on how to run a Freedom Club in their schools. This training takes 2.5 days and includes learning both the curriculum and about trauma and its impacts on children. Following the training, the school staff are equipped to run a 10-week Freedom Club in their school – 1.5 hours, 1 day per week, over 10 weeks. During the Freedom Clubs, children listen to five 30-minute audio dramas that tell the story of children experiencing common traumatic experiences - abandonment, sexual abuse, etc. After each drama, a facilitator follows a curriculum designed by RiverCross that leads the children through reflection exercises and activities designed to apply lessons learned from the audio dramas to their own experiences. The last session is focused on helping children develop their stories. While PTSD is only one (severe) response to trauma, the clubs are aimed at four common treatments for child and adolescent PTSD: psychoeducation, coping skills, exposure and cognitive restructuring, and parenting support and skills.
Experimental Design Details
Randomization Method
Randomization done by a computer
Randomization Unit
Classroom
Was the treatment clustered?
Yes

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
12 schools
Sample size: planned number of observations
480 students
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
8 classrooms - control
8 classrooms - teacher only treatment
8 classrooms - teacher + student treatment
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
HUA
IRB Approval Date
2023-02-13
IRB Approval Number
IRB22-1571

Post-Trial

Post Trial Information

Study Withdrawal

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Intervention

Is the intervention completed?
No
Data Collection Complete
Data Publication

Data Publication

Is public data available?
No

Program Files

Program Files
Reports, Papers & Other Materials

Relevant Paper(s)

Reports & Other Materials