NET involves guided emotional exposure to the memories of traumatic events and the reorganisation of these memories into a coherent chronological narrative. Studies have shown that it is possible to treat PTSD and restore functioning in only 8 treatment sessions. NET is low cost and can be delivered by non-professionals, so it is ideal for medical student refugee health leaders. This Community Service Learning program aims to bring more refugee mental health education and awareness to medical students, to prepare them for this low intensity intervention, and to scale up this program in medical schools across Canada.
Lending a Hand to Our Future (M. Beiser, V. Srinivasan ), supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, is an initiative dedicated to identifying refugee children and youth suffering from Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and offering them treatment with Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET).
Resources
Dissemination of Psychotherapy for Trauma Spectrum Disorders in Postconflict Settings: A Randomized Controlled Trial in Rwanda.
Jacob N, Neuner F, Maedl A, Schaal S, Elbert T.
Psychother Psychosom. 2014 Oct 16;83(6):354-363
Brief narrative exposure therapy for posttraumatic stress in Iraqi refugees: a preliminary randomized clinical trial.
Hijazi AM, Lumley MA, Ziadni MS, Haddad L, Rapport LJ, Arnetz BB.
J Trauma Stress. 2014 Jun;27(3):314-22
Treating PTSD in refugees and asylum seekers within the general health care system. A randomized controlled multicenter study.
Stenmark H, Catani C, Neuner F, Elbert T, Holen A.
Behav Res Ther. 2013 Oct;51(10):641-7.
Meta-analysis of the use of narrative exposure therapy for the effects of trauma among refugee populations.
Gwozdziewycz N, Mehl-Madrona L.
Perm J. 2013 Winter;17(1):70-6