A Lay-Led Intervention for War and Refugee Related Trauma

Islamic Trauma Healing is a lay-led, small-group intervention specifically targeting healing
mental wounds of trauma within mosques. The six-session intervention combines empirically
supported exposure-based and cognitive restructuring techniques with Islamic principles. A
lay-led, group program promotes community building, acknowledges trauma's impact in the
community, and facilitates wider implementation. The program is not referred to as "therapy"
or "treatment" for "mental illness." It incorporates community building (e.g., shared tea,
supplication), integrated Islamic principles that utilize cognitive restructuring through
discussion of prophet narratives (e.g., faith during hard times, Prophet Job [Ayyub]), and
exposure therapy through individual prayer, talking to Allah about the trauma. Ultimately,
the program will follow a self-sustaining train-the-trainer model, led by group leaders,
empowering lay leaders to facilitate healing in their communities. Further, training time is
dramatically reduced to two, 4-hour training sessions, focusing on teaching skills of group
discussion leading rather than training as a lay therapist or mental health counselor.
Preliminary data from a community sample and from initial men's and women's groups show a
strong perceived need and match with the Islamic faith, with large effects obtained for pre-
to post-group across measures (g = 0.76-3.22). Qualitative analysis identified the
intervention as operating on potential mechanisms of connectedness to the community, faith
integration, healing, and growth. The preliminary data point to the program being
well-received and offering a promising model for delivery of a trauma-focused intervention to
Muslim communities. The next steps are examining Islamic Trauma Healing in a RCT, further
isolating mechanisms of change, and ascertaining feasibility for wider dissemination studies.

Inclusion Criteria:

- Experienced a DSM-5 trauma at least 12 weeks ago

- Report current re-experiencing or avoidance symptoms

- Somali background

- Islamic faith

- 18-65 year of age

Exclusion Criteria:

- Immediate suicide risk, with intent or plan

- Cannot understand consent/visible cognitive impairment