Abstract
Asking children to care for a toy animal following a severe trauma has previously shown mental health benefits. In this study 129 children aged 5-9 from two shelter-homes in Bangladesh were randomly allocated to receive a toy animal plus rehearsal of positive statements or treatment as usual and were re-assessed after three weeks. Those receiving tau then received the toy only and were reassessed after another three weeks. The largest reductions in symptoms of post-traumatic stress, anxiety and depression were shown by those receiving the combined intervention. This procedure provides a potential very low-cost intervention for use in developing countries.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 157-169 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | Mental Health and Prevention |
Volume | 3 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Dec 2015 |
Keywords
- PTSD
- anxiety
- depression
- trauma
- children
- developing countries