Building Resilience at Schools: Emotional and Biological Assessment and Treatment of Traumatic Stress

Launched by STANFORD UNIVERSITY · Jan 24, 2023

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial, titled "Building Resilience at Schools," aims to help teachers and school-aged children in Puerto Rico who are experiencing stress and burnout due to recent natural disasters and the COVID-19 pandemic. The study will explore two types of treatment: a mindfulness program for educators and, for children showing signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), this mindfulness training along with a therapy called Cue-Centered Therapy (CCT). The goal is to see how these treatments can improve the mental well-being of educators and support children in developing better emotional skills during tough times.

To participate in the trial, teachers and students at selected schools can sign up, especially if children aged 11-17 have faced traumatic events and show PTSD symptoms. Participants can expect to take part in these mindfulness and therapy sessions, which aim to provide them with tools to manage stress and improve overall mental health. The researchers also hope to learn about the biological factors that may help some individuals be more resilient in the face of adversity, which will guide future mental health support in schools.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Teachers and students at a participating school site, Adults and students/caregivers willing to participate in the study
• 2. For Cue Centered Therapy:
• • 1. Youth aged 11-17 with exposure to at least one Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) 5-defined traumatic event and meeting threshold criteria for posttraumatic symptoms per the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) PTSD scale.
• • 2. Willingness to participate in therapy
• • 3. Caregiver willing to participate in therapy
• • 4. Perpetrator of the traumatic event is not living in the home with the child
• Exclusion Criteria:
• 1. For the general study and for Cue Centered Therapy:
• • 1. Students doing current trauma-focused interventions with a mental health professional
• • 2. Low cognitive functioning (IQ less than 70)
• • 3. Substance dependence as defined by DSM criteria
• • 4. Autism/Schizophrenia
• • 5. Clinically significant medical illness