Online-delivered 'Teaching Recovery Techniques' for young people with PTSD symptoms who have experienced forced migration: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION

Although there is a high need for mental health support among individuals with experience of forced migration, there are barriers to accessing in-person interventions. Online delivery offers an alternative. This study aimed to examine the feasibility and acceptability of online-delivered Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) for young people who had experienced forced migration and reported symptoms of PTSD.

METHODS

The study used an open, single-arm trial design with a mixed-methods approach. Participants (n = 16; 62.5% male; 17-23 years) were recruited via an upper secondary school in Sweden. Fidelity checklists were used to capture adherence to the manual, psychological symptom and life satisfaction questionnaires were administered (n = 16), and a focus group discussion (n = 3) and interview (n = 1) explored participants' perspectives.

RESULTS

High fidelity was observed, with all components delivered except for elements of the final session. Technical challenges were noted, including limited platform functionality for private communication and unstable internet connectivity, and privacy concerns were raised where participants lacked private spaces. The format was adapted, including merging groups, delivering sessions twice weekly rather than weekly, and reducing session duration from 90 to 60 min. Of 16 participants, 9 completed post-intervention measures; descriptive data suggested completers were less likely to be female and had higher symptom scores. Qualitative data indicated symptom improvements and emphasised facilitators' relational qualities, but benefits were described as transient and insufficient to address ongoing stressors, with participants preferring in-person delivery.

CONCLUSION

Online TRT needs enhanced technical support, privacy safeguards, and closure procedures; future trials should test efficacy and long-term outcomes.