Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Kosovar High School Students Using Mind-Body Skills Groups

The objective of this study is to determine whether participation in a group program incorporating mind-body techniques decreases symptoms of posttraumatic stress in adolescents. Students will be screened for posttraumatic stress using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire and eighty-two qualifying students will be randomly assigned to a 12-session mind-body group program or a wait-list delayed intervention group. The program will be conducted by the teachers at a high school in Kosovo and include meditation, biofeedback, drawings, autogenic training, genograms, and a variety of movement and breathing techniques. Changes in posttraumatic stress symptoms will be measured using the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire.

Inclusion criteria

• Students having posttraumatic stress (PTSD) as defined according to a scoring algorithm of the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire previously described by the Harvard Refugee Trauma group and used in a Kosovar Albanian population. This definition of PTSD requires a score of 3 or 4, on a Likert scale of 1-4, on at least one of the four of the reexperiencing symptoms (Criterion B), at least 3 of the 7 avoidance and numbing symptoms (Criterion C), and at least 2 of the 5 arousal symptoms (Criterion D) in addition to exposure to a traumatic event (Criterion A).

Exclusion criteria

• No specific exclusion criteria. Students having PTSD symptoms as defined above may participate in the study.