Trauma-focused treatments for refugee children and adolescents with PTSD: a three-arm randomized controlled trial comparing the efficacy of EMDR and KIDNET versus a waitlist control group (the KIEM study).
EMDR and trauma-focused therapy both help refugee children recover from PTSD, with EMDR requiring fewer sessions.
In 96 refugee children and adolescents with PTSD in the Netherlands, both EMDR and KIDNET were efficacious trauma-focused treatments versus waitlist, with EMDR showing slightly superior PTSD symptom reduction and requiring fewer sessions. These findings from a registered RCT have direct implications for mental health service design for refugee populations.
What the study was
- Study design
- Three-arm randomized controlled trial
- Population
- Refugee children and adolescents aged 8-18 with (partial) PTSD diagnosis in the Netherlands
- Sample size
- 96
- Category
- Mental Health
- Maturity
- Validated
- Journal
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
Why it surfaced
RCT in an underserved population (refugee children with PTSD) showing EMDR superiority over KIDNET; out-of-watchlist but high-signal finding for mental health/population health adjacent. Found via sentinel scan.
A plain-language summary of published research — not medical advice. Talk to a clinician about your own care.