Testing a Community Coping Intervention for Somali Refugee Women

Background: In a previous study the research team adapted the Health Realization Model community-oriented intervention to fit the Somali cultural context. The adaptation was based upon knowledge of local sociocultural variables that mitigate coping strategies including 1) Somali and Muslim norms, beliefs and values; 2) war-related sociocultural changes; and 3) resettlement related sociocultural changes. Purpose: This pilot study tested the culturally adapted Somali Health Realization intervention among resettled Somali refugee women who have experienced war trauma and associated psychosocial problems. The objective of the study was to assess the feasibility of conducting three-arm comparison group trial with this population. Theoretical/Conceptual Framework: Health Realization is a strengths-based stress and coping intervention to promote and enhance the use of internal and external coping resources and thus decrease the negative outcomes of stress. Participants: Somali community coordinators recruited seventy-five eligible Somali women refugees in the Minneapolis-St Paul metropolitan area via community venues. Methods: Three-group comparison trial pilot design; assigned three geographically distinct communities to different treatment conditions: 1) a Health Realization intervention condition (treatment), 2) a nutrition education condition (attention control condition), or 3) an evaluation-only control condition. Pre-post measures of depression and anxiety symptoms and coping strategies were administered to all three conditions. Results and Discussion: Multiple challenges to conducting a three-arm comparison group trial surfaced and were addressed. Data collection is complete and analysis is in process. Results are pending and will be reported. .