There are about 129 clinical studies being (or have been) conducted in Rwanda. The country of the clinical trial is determined by the location of where the clinical research is being studied. Most studies are often held in multiple locations & countries.
The purpose of this study is to assess whether the BASIC Scale--a simple, non-invasive clinical triage protocol--predicts severe illness, hospitalization or death among children under age five presenting for acute care in a rural African health center.
In the framework of the epidemiological study, local psychologists are trained in Butare in carrying out diagnostic interviews with orphans and widows who experienced the Rwandan genocide. With the aid of standardized questionnaires they will assess trauma related symptoms as well as Prolonged Grief Disorder. Under the supervision of clinical experts from the University of Konstanz the local psychologists will carry out a randomized house to house survey (Phase 1). As a second step, a controlled randomized clinical trial will be carried out. Local psychologists will be trained in applying Narrative Exposure Therapy and Interpersonal Psychotherapy. Genocide survivors that will be identified with a PTSD diagnosis will randomly be assigned to either the treatment condition or a waiting list. The treatment group will receive 5 individual sessions of NET in addition to 3 individual IPT sessions. Subsequent 3-months and 6-months post-tests will serve to evaluate the efficacy of this treatment module in alleviating trauma related symptoms and symptoms of prolonged grief. We expect a significant symptom reduction in the experimental group and no significant symptom reduction in the waiting list. After the 6-months post-test, the trained psychologists will train other psychologists in applying this treatment module under the supervision of clinical experts from the University of Konstanz. Afterwards, they will apply therapy to the victims from the waiting list. A 12-months follow-up will serve to evaluate the long-term effect of the NET/IPT combination.