Child-Parent Psychotherapy After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake
Trial statusRecruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age3-65
SponsorBeykoz University
About this trial
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) in reducing trauma-related symptoms and improving attachment quality among preschool-aged children who experienced the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye. A total of 60 caregiver-child dyads (children aged 3-6) will be recruited from 11 earthquake-affected provinces. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving 12 weekly CPP sessions, or a no-intervention control group. CPP will be delivered by trained clinical psychologists through either online or face-to-face sessions. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention (after session 6), and post-intervention (after session 12). Outcomes include child trauma symptoms, social-emotional functioning, and attachment quality, as well as caregiver reflective functioning, stress, and emotional well-being.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Children aged 3 to 6 years old at the time of enrollment
Resided in one of the 11 cities affected by the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquake (e.g., Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, Malatya, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Adana, Osmaniye, Diyarbakır, Kilis, Elazığ)
Exposure to at least one qualifying traumatic event due to the earthquake (e.g., witnessing injury or death, loss of home, separation from caregiver)
Living with a primary caregiver (mother or father) who consents to participate in the study
Disqualifiers
Child or caregiver currently receiving psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment
Child diagnosed with developmental disorder (e.g., autism, intellectual disability) that significantly impairs communication or relational functioning
Caregiver with a diagnosed severe psychiatric disorder (e.g., psychosis, bipolar disorder) or active substance use disorder
Families with ongoing legal custody disputes or instability that may interfere with consistent participation
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
BehavioralCPP is a structured, evidence-based dyadic therapy designed for children aged 0-6 exposed to trauma and their caregivers. The intervention involves weekly joint sessions emphasizing safety, emotional expression, and caregiver reflective functioning. Delivered by trained psychologists either online or in person.
Treatment groups
60 Participants
are divided into 2 treatment groupsGroup A: Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)Experimental treatment 1 intervention
Group B: No-Treatment ControlNo intervention 0 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Change in Child Trauma Symptom Severity
Child trauma symptoms will be assessed using the Child PTSD Reaction Index (CPTSD-RI), a 20-item caregiver-report scale developed to evaluate post-traumatic stress reactions in children following exposure to traumatic events. Items are rated on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (none) to 4 (most of the time), yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 80. Higher scores reflect greater severity of PTSD symptoms, with cutoffs indicating doubtful (0-11), mild (12-24), moderate (25-39), severe (40-59), and very severe (60-80) symptom levels. The measure will be administered at three time points: baseline (Week 0), mid-treatment (Week 6), and post-treatment (Week 12).
Time frame
From baseline (Week 0) to 12 weeks post-intervention.Secondary outcomes
1
Change in Child Social-Emotional Functioning
Assessed using the ASQ:SE, a caregiver-report scale evaluating emotion regulation, social interaction, and adaptive functioning. Total scores vary by age version, typically up to \~310. Higher scores indicate more social-emotional difficulties.
Time frame
From baseline (Week 0) to 12 weeks post-intervention.2
Change in Child Attachment Security
Measured using the BAS-16, a 16-item scale assessing attachment security and proximity-seeking. Scores range from 16 to 80, with higher scores indicating more secure attachment.
Time frame
From baseline (Week 0) to 12 weeks post-intervention.3
Change in Parental Reflective Functioning
Evaluated using the PRFQ, an 18-item caregiver-report measure of mentalization. Scores range from 18 to 126, with interpretation based on subscale balance.
Time frame
From baseline (Week 0) to 12 weeks post-intervention.4
Change in Parenting Stress
Measured by the PSI-SF, a 36-item scale with scores ranging from 36 to 180, where higher scores indicate greater stress.
Time frame
From baseline (Week 0) to 12 weeks post-interventionSponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Beykoz University
Lead sponsor
Istanbul Nisantasi University
Collaborator
Source ClinicalTrials.gov