Traumatology, Vol 29(4), Dec 2023, 435-440; doi:10.1037/trm0000417
Displaced persons continue to lack access to mental health services despite the strong association between trauma exposure and displacement with enduring emotional distress. Local psychotherapists are a promising solution for improving access to mental health services; however, no research to date has examined the external validity of locally led therapist effectiveness. In this exploratory study, longitudinal data at three time points were collected from 28 Arabic-speaking displaced persons seeking mental health services from a locally operated nonprofit in the autonomous Kurdistan Region in northern Iraq. Treatment was provided by local therapists previously trained in evidence-based treatments. Participants beginning weekly psychotherapy completed the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition and the Patient Health Questionnaire at baseline, 1 month, and 3 months into treatment. A multilevel linear mixed model measured outcome change over time. Both PTSD scores (β = −9.87, SE = 1.37, d = 1.74, p SE = .47, d = 1.32, p