Implementing and Evaluating a Social-Emotional Learning Program for Refugee Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

NCT ID: NCT04931888

Last Updated: 2023-11-30

Study Results

Results available

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

31 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2022-05-20

Study Completion Date

2022-08-20

Brief Summary

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The overall goal of this overall goal is to pilot an adaptation of an established Social-Emotional Learning Program with novel wellness and COVID-19 safety components that are trauma-informed and culturally-specific in a resettled refugee community. In this pilot, "EMPOWER" (Emotions Program Outside the clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees), the study team will assess implementation outcomes (adoption, acceptability, and feasibility) of EMPOWER with refugee children and families during the COVID-19 pandemic through longitudinal evaluations and measurements of feasibility, acceptability, and attrition. The study team will also evaluate the impact of EMPOWER by assessing (a) children's social-emotional learning competence and (b) children's and family's COVID-19 knowledge.

Detailed Description

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The major question that guides this research is: can an adaptation of an established Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum effectively improve Social-Emotional wellness for refugee children and their families? The hypothesis is that participation in this program will (a) improve children's SEL competence and (b) lessen stress and improve quality of life for refugee families.

The overall objective of this study is to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy and implementation of an adapted social-emotional learning (SEL) and Wellness Program for refugees: EMPOWER (Emotions Program Outside the clinic with Wellness Education for Refugees). To achieve the two aims of this study, the study team will conduct a wait-list controlled pilot to establish and evaluate the preliminary efficacy of participation in EMPOWER by assessing (a) children's SEL competence and (b) measures of mental health, stress, quality of life and wellness before and after participation in the program (Aim 1). Then, the study team will assess the implementation of EMPOWER with refugee children by using mixed methods to perform a summative evaluation of implementation outcomes-including fidelity, sustainability, and reach-in the Afghan refugee community (Aim 2).

Conditions

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Social Emotional Wellness

Keywords

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Refugee Children

Study Design

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Allocation Method

NON_RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

PREVENTION

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Intervention

The intervention arm will receive the EMPOWER curriculum between the pre- and post-evaluations.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

EMPOWER

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EMPOWER is an adapted social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness education initiative delivered to a community of refugee families that was developed through a pre-pilot in the New Haven Afghan refugee community in 2020. Unlike traditional school-based SEL curricula, EMPOWER partners with community organizations to provide translated and trauma-informed wellness education to family units. The program combines in-person (socially distant) and remote delivery of culturally-informed physical, emotional, and medical wellness tools adapted from evidenced-based behavioral medicine, refugee trauma and recovery, and community health research.

Waitlist

The waitlist control arm will receive the EMPOWER curriculum after the evaluations. They will receive a second set of evaluations at the same time as the "post" evaluations of the control arm.

Group Type OTHER

EMPOWER

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

EMPOWER is an adapted social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness education initiative delivered to a community of refugee families that was developed through a pre-pilot in the New Haven Afghan refugee community in 2020. Unlike traditional school-based SEL curricula, EMPOWER partners with community organizations to provide translated and trauma-informed wellness education to family units. The program combines in-person (socially distant) and remote delivery of culturally-informed physical, emotional, and medical wellness tools adapted from evidenced-based behavioral medicine, refugee trauma and recovery, and community health research.

Interventions

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EMPOWER

EMPOWER is an adapted social emotional learning (SEL) and wellness education initiative delivered to a community of refugee families that was developed through a pre-pilot in the New Haven Afghan refugee community in 2020. Unlike traditional school-based SEL curricula, EMPOWER partners with community organizations to provide translated and trauma-informed wellness education to family units. The program combines in-person (socially distant) and remote delivery of culturally-informed physical, emotional, and medical wellness tools adapted from evidenced-based behavioral medicine, refugee trauma and recovery, and community health research.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Emotions Program Outside the Clinic and Wellness Education for Refugees

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* at least 1 year of schooling in the United States
* must speak: Pashto, Dari or English
* connected with the community organization: Elena's Light
Minimum Eligible Age

5 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

15 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Academic Pediatric Association

INDUSTRY

Sponsor Role collaborator

National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

NIH

Sponsor Role collaborator

Yale University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Julia Rosenberg, MD MHS

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Yale University

Locations

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Yale University

New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Site Status

Countries

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United States

References

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Rosenberg J, McDonough Ryan P, Schaffer R, O'Brien C, Shabanova V, Ganjavi F, Sharifi M. Wait-List Controlled Pilot Trial of a Preventive Mental Health Intervention for Refugee Youth. J Immigr Minor Health. 2025 Oct;27(5):723-733. doi: 10.1007/s10903-025-01739-1. Epub 2025 Aug 9.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40783623 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

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Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

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KL2TR001862

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: secondary_id

View Link

2000030455

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id