Child-Parent Psychotherapy for Preschoolers After the 2023 Kahramanmaraş Earthquake
Child-Parent Psychotherapy for Post-Earthquake Trauma in Preschool Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This trial will try 12 weekly Child-Parent Psychotherapy sessions for preschool children (ages 3–6) and their caregivers who experienced the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes to reduce trauma symptoms and improve attachment.
Quick facts
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Ages | 3 Years to 65 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Beykoz University Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Istanbul, Istanbul) |
| Trial ID | NCT07040462 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This randomized controlled trial will enroll 60 caregiver-child dyads from 11 earthquake-affected provinces in Türkiye and randomly assign them to 12 weekly Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) sessions or a no-intervention control group. CPP sessions (60 minutes each) are delivered by trained clinical psychologists and may be provided either online or face-to-face depending on logistics. Assessments occur at baseline, mid-intervention (after session 6), and post-intervention (after session 12) and measure child trauma symptoms, social-emotional functioning, attachment quality, and caregiver outcomes such as stress and reflective functioning. The trial applies an established dyadic, play-based trauma therapy model adapted for preschool-aged children in a disaster-affected population.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates are children aged 3–6 who lived in one of the 11 listed Kahramanmaraş-earthquake-affected provinces, experienced at least one earthquake-related traumatic event, and live with a primary caregiver fluent in Turkish who can attend 12 weekly sessions.
Not a fit: Children or caregivers currently receiving psychotherapy or psychiatric treatment, children with major developmental disorders that impair relational functioning, caregivers with disqualifying severe mental illness, non-Turkish-speaking families, or those unable to commit to weekly sessions are unlikely to benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the intervention could reduce children's trauma-related symptoms and strengthen caregiver-child attachment, improving social-emotional functioning after earthquake exposure.
How similar studies have performed: Child-Parent Psychotherapy has prior evidence showing benefits for young children exposed to trauma and for improving attachment in clinical and randomized studies, and this trial applies that evidence to an earthquake-affected cohort.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 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 * Both caregiver and child are available to participate in 12 weekly sessions of CPP (online or face-to-face) * Caregiver is fluent in Turkish and able to complete self-report questionnaires Exclusion Criteria: * 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 * Inability to access internet or digital device (for participants randomized to online therapy)
Where this trial is running
Istanbul, Istanbul
- Beykoz University — Istanbul, Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye) (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Eda Yılmazer, Phd
- Email: edayilmazer@beykoz.edu.tr
- Phone: +905322575880
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.