Lobatse

Researchers are evaluating a brief psychological intervention designed to help people with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who also have severe mental illness (SMI) in Botswana. The study aims to culturally adapt this intervention and assess how effective, feasible, and acceptable it is for participants. The research includes three phases: understanding trauma and responses among patients with SMI, gathering perceptions on PTSD treatments, and conducting a pilot trial of the adapted intervention. This work addresses a gap in knowledge about trauma among individuals with SMI in Botswana and seeks to improve clinical care for PTSD and SMI. The intervention being studied is called Brief Relaxation, Education, And Trauma HEaling (BREATHE), which combines psychoeducation and breathing retraining to manage anxiety symptoms. It is delivered weekly over three weeks by a trained principal investigator, with telephonic supervision. Forty participants will be randomly assigned to either the BREATHE intervention or usual treatment, with groups of four participants each. The entire period for delivering the intervention and collecting data is expected to last about 15 weeks. Participants will be assessed using several tools to measure PTSD symptoms, knowledge about PTSD, anxiety, and depression at the start, weekly during treatment, and at one and three months after treatment ends. Additional measures include skin conductance to objectively assess PTSD responses, as well as evaluations of how acceptable and feasible the intervention is. Researchers will also track consent and adherence rates and patient satisfaction. These assessments aim to provide a thorough understanding of the intervention’s impact and participant experience throughout the study.