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Mental DisordersNCT02008708

Microfinance Intervention to Improve Health of Trauma Survivors in DRC

A study testing Livestock Microfinance in people with Mental Disorders and Multiple Trauma, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in Republic of the Congo.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

The objective is to test the effectiveness of a village-led microfinance program, Pigs for Peace, on health, household economic stability, and reintegration of trauma survivors to family and community. The five-year experimental trial will use mixed-methods to address the following aims: 1. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 16 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Mental Disorders, Multiple Trauma
What is being tested?
Livestock Microfinance
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
878 participants
Where
1 siteRepublic of the Congo
Study dates
Jan 2011to Sep 2016
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 16 years and older
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • household in participating 10 villages with at least one member:
  • 16 years or older,
  • male or female
  • interest in animal husbandry microfinance,
  • vulnerable, including survivor of sexual violence, widow, single mother
  • children under age 18 in the home.

Who cannot join

  • do not live in villages included in study

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Republic of the Congo1 site
  • PAIDEK Microfinance

    Bukavu, South Kivu, 2375

Other trials in Republic of the Congo

About this study

The objective is to test the effectiveness of a village-led microfinance program, Pigs for Peace, on health, household economic stability, and reintegration of trauma survivors to family and community.

The five-year experimental trial will use mixed-methods to address the following aims:

  1. Determine the effectiveness of a village-led microfinance program on participants health and reintegration in intervention households compared to participants in delayed control households. Health and reintegration will be measured at baseline and six, twelve, and 18-months post-baseline using self-report in both intervention and delayed control groups. We hypothesize that at six, twelve and 18 months post-baseline participants in intervention households will have improved health and increased reintegration to families in comparison to participants in control households.
  2. Determine the effectiveness of a village-led microfinance program on household economic stability in intervention households compared to delayed control villages. Household economic stability will be measured at baseline and six, twelve and 18 months post- baseline using self-report in both intervention and control households. We hypothesize that at six, twelve and 18-months post-baseline the intervention households will have improved household economic stability in comparison to control households.
  3. Examine the role of a village-led microfinance program on village-level health, economics, stigma and reintegration of survivors and their families in intervention and delayed control villages. Village members (n=5 in each village, n=50 total) will complete a baseline and 18 month post-baseline qualitative interview to examine the role of microfinance on village-level health, economics, stigma and reintegration in both intervention and control households.
Read the detailed description

Mobutu Sese Seko's government of "Kleptocracy" collapsed in 1997 after 30 years of oppression. The new nation that emerged, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), remains an all-to-potent reminder of how human rights violations, and their related health and economic impacts, can devastate individuals, families and communities. The genocide in neighboring Rwanda, coupled with the collapse of the Mobutu government, has spawned two wars and over a decade of warfare throughout the region, resulting in millions of deaths in what is the deadliest conflict since World War II 1. The last decade has seen the use of rape as a weapon of war in the DRC, where rebels and soldiers subject women, men and children to brutalizing attacks, rape, torture, and mutilation. Survivors of the assault are often further traumatized by infections, disease, poverty, stigma and social isolation.

The US plays a significant role in global health. It is both the largest funder of innovation in global health and the largest donor to care and support programs in sub-Saharan Africa-notably through The US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and responses to humanitarian crisis, such as USAID funded programs in DRC. The effectiveness and sustainability of these efforts are limited by gaps in knowledge of the role of social determinants, such as poverty, social isolation, chronic stress and trauma, and limited access to health care services has on the health of women and families. To begin to address these gaps, our overall goal is to build the science base for large-scale implementation of economic programs to improve the health of survivors of trauma living in man-made and natural disaster settings.

Being tested
Livestock Microfinance, Delayed Control Group
Keywords
Health, Microfinance
Medical subject headings
Mental Disorders, Multiple Trauma

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Livestock MicrofinanceBehavioural

    Participants randomized to the microfinance group receive the pig loan.

  • Delayed Control GroupOther

    Participants enrolled in delayed control receive their pig loan 12 months after the intervention group.

Study groups in NCT02008708
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Livestock microfinanceExperimentalParticipants randomized to the microfinance intervention receive a female pig loan with ongoing support to manage health and care of the pig by trained agents.
Receives: Behavioral: Livestock Microfinance
Delayed Control GroupActive comparatorParticipants randomized to delayed control group receives pig loan 12 months after the intervention group
Receives: Other: Delayed Control Group

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change from baseline Mental health distress at 18 months

    10 villages in rural South Kivu province of DRC will be selected for participation. Sixty-100 households in each village will then be randomized to intervention (receive 1st loan pig) and delayed control (receive offspring from loan pig) groups.

    • Outcome will be measured in both intervention and control villages.
    • Measurement of outcome will use self-report by participating household member.
    • An eligible participant is an adult head of household at least 16 years or older.

    Measured: Baseline and 18 months post baseline

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted11 Dec 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startJan 2011
  3. Primary completionSep 2016
  4. Study completionSep 2016

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Other
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
878 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT02008708
Sponsor's protocol ID
R01MD006075
Other IDs
R01MD006075
Status last verified
Mar 2017
First submitted
7 Oct 2013
Last updated
3 Mar 2017
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
Yes

Publications

  • Glass N, Perrin NA, Kohli A, Campbell J, Remy MM. Randomised controlled trial of a livestock productive asset transfer programme to improve economic and health outcomes and reduce intimate partner violence in a postconflict setting. BMJ Glob Health. 2017 Feb 28;2(1):e000165. doi: 10.1136/bmjgh-2016-000165. eCollection 2017.

    PubMed 28589002
  • Kohli A, Perrin NA, Remy MM, Alfred MB, Arsene KB, Nadine MB, Heri BJ, Clovis MM, Glass N. Adult and adolescent livestock productive asset transfer programmes to improve mental health, economic stability and family and community relationships in rural South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo: a protocol of a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open. 2017 Mar 14;7(3):e013612. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-013612.

    PubMed 28292764
  • Glass N, Perrin NA, Kohli A, Remy MM. Livestock/animal assets buffer the impact of conflict-related traumatic events on mental health symptoms for rural women. PLoS One. 2014 Nov 24;9(11):e111708. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0111708. eCollection 2014.

    PubMed 25419743

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Livestock Microfinance in people with Mental Disorders and Multiple Trauma, run by Johns Hopkins University at 1 site in Republic of the Congo.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Mar 2017. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Republic of the Congo. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change from baseline Mental health distress at 18 months (time frame: Baseline and 18 months post baseline). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT02008708, which also lists 3 linked publications.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Mar 2017.

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