Endurance training as an adjunct to trauma-focused psychotherapy in traumatized refugees

• Applicants: Privatdozentin Dr. Monika Equit; Professor Dr. Tim Meyer; Professorin Dr. Tanja Michael
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2019
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 426361032

The experience of war, political persecution and organized violence has a severe impact on the survivor’s mental health. A great amount of refugees is affected by anxiety and somatoform disorders, and even more often by depressive and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), the last two with a high comorbidity rate. Therefore, it is important that the psychological treatment of traumatized refugees comprise interventions adapted to the cultural characteristics of this special population and proved effective not only in the treatment of depressive disorders but also of PTSD.Trauma-focused confrontation procedures are first-choice methods in the treatment of patients with PTSD. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a particular trauma-focused treatment, which has been shown to be effective in the treatment of refugees and survivors of organized violence. The effectiveness of NET on PTSD symptoms has been proven in many previous studies. There are however contradictory findings regarding the effectiveness of NET on depressive symptoms. Based on the current state of research, it can be assumed that people with depressive symptoms might benefit from NET , but that NET - as a stand-alone treatment - will not be sufficient to achieve clinically relevant effects on depressive symptoms.As many studies have shown, physical activity (exercises) is an alternative treatment for several mental disorders with positive effects especially on depressive disorders. Additionally, a few studies have shown positive effects on PTSD as well. But there is still a lack of studies assessing the effectiveness of exercises as an adjunct treatment to trauma-focused psychotherapy. The objective of the planned study is to assess the effectiveness of endurance training (jogging) as an adjunct treatment to trauma-focused psychotherapy with NET on depressive and PTSD symptoms in a population of traumatized refugees. Furthermore, this study aims to disentangle if a combined treatment is substantially more efficient than stand-alone treatment with NET.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Privatdozentin Dr. Dorota Reis