START NOW: a cognitive behavioral skills training for adolescent girls with conduct or oppositional defiant disorder - a randomized clinical trial.
Christina Stadler, Christine M Freitag, Arne Popma...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37814906Actively Recruiting
Phase Not Applicable
Age: 14Years - 18Years
All Genders
ID06324864
Testing the Effectiveness of the Culturally Adapted Skills Training START NOW to Reduce Mental Health Problems in Adolescent Refugees
Led by Prof. Christina Stadler · Updated on 2026-02-19
80
Participants Needed
1
Research Sites
N/A
Total Duration
On this page
AI-Summary
What this Trial Is About
This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a culturally adapted version of the skills-training program START NOW in reducing mental health problems among adolescent migrants. The study focuses on youth migrants aged 14 to 18 who face higher risks of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety due to their resettlement experiences. Researchers want to determine if this adapted training is more effective than usual treatment in supporting psychological health and resilience in this vulnerable group. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of two groups: the intervention group receiving the culturally adapted START NOW training or the control group receiving treatment as usual (TAU). The START NOW training includes 10 group sessions led by facilitators sharing the participants' cultural background and language. These sessions teach skills to manage emotions, change negative attitudes, and improve resilience over a 10-week intervention phase. During the study, participants undergo three assessments: at baseline, after the 10-week intervention, and at a 12-week follow-up. Researchers will measure changes in depression and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, social-ecological resilience, and facial emotion recognition. The study helps understand how the adapted training affects mental health outcomes over time under medical supervision.
CONDITIONS
Brief Title
START NOW Adapted: Culturally Adapted Version of START NOW
Who Can Participate
Age: 14Years - 18Years
All Genders
Eligibility Criteria
You may qualify if you...
- Being a migrant resettled in Switzerland temporarily or permanently
- Aged between 14 and 18
- Able to speak, read and understand one of the following languages: German, English, Turkish, Farsi, Dari, Ukrainian, Algerian Arabic or Pashto
- Able to give informed consent as documented by signature
- At least sub-clinical depressive symptoms assessed by the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 (HSCL-25); total score > 1.75, OR
- Having elevated levels of psychological distress assessed by Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10); total score > 20
You will not qualify if you...
- Suicidality assessed in self-report by the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised (SBQ-R; total score > 6) and external report by telephone clarification
- Planning to leave Switzerland in the next 6 months
- Concurrent CBT-based skills-training similar to START NOW
AI-Screening
AI-Powered Screening
Complete this quick 3-step screening to check your eligibility
1
2
3
Your Study Journey
Screening
Duration - 2 to 4 weeks
Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial.
1 visit (in-person)
Treatment
Duration - 10 weeks
Participants in the intervention group attend ten group sessions of the culturally adapted START NOW skills-training to learn strategies for managing stress and difficult emotions. Participants in the control group receive treatment as usual. Both groups have baseline and post-treatment assessments.
1 baseline assessment visit and 1 post-treatment assessment visit
Follow-up
Duration - 12 weeks
Participants complete a follow-up assessment 12 weeks after the end of treatment to evaluate longer-term effects of the intervention.
1 follow-up assessment visit
Trial Site Locations
Total: 1 location
1
University Psychiatric Clinics Basel
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, Switzerland, 4002
Actively Recruiting
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Research Team
J
Janine Bacher, MSc
How is the study designed?
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Masking
NONE
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Model
PARALLEL
Primary Purpose
TREATMENT
Number of Arms
2
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Published Research Related To This Trial
Testing the effectiveness of the culturally adapted skills training START NOW to reduce mental health problems in adolescent refugees: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.
Janine Bacher, Christina Stadler, Eva Unternaehrer...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38919921