Mind-body skills groups for war-related trauma in Gaza adolescents
Official title: Mind-body Skills Groups for the Treatment of War-Related Trauma in Adolescents in Gaza: A Randomized Controlled Study
Run by The Center for Mind-Body Medicine · NCT07302984 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will try group mind-body skills to see if they reduce PTSD symptoms and emotional and behavioral problems in 11–17-year-olds living in Gaza who experienced war trauma.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 11 Years to 17 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 120 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | The Center for Mind-Body Medicine Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Deir al-Balah) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | December 26, 2025 |
| Main results expected | March 2026 |
| Study ends | March 2026 |
| Registry record updated | December 30, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07302984 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are 11–17-year-olds living in Gaza who experienced war-related trauma and meet the CPSS-5 screening cutoff for PTSD, who have not received psychotherapy or psychiatric medication for mental disorders and who do not have significant cognitive impairment.
✕Probably not a fit
Adolescents who have had prior psychotherapy or psychiatric medication or who have significant cognitive impairment are excluded from the intervention and therefore would not receive benefit from this program.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
Researchers will screen adolescents in Gaza (ages 11–17) who meet a PTSD cutoff on the CPSS-5 and have experienced war-related trauma. Eligible participants will either attend five in-person mind-body skills group sessions or be assigned to a comparison group that does not attend the groups. Participants will complete questionnaires before the first session and after the last session to measure PTSD, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. The study is led by the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Deir al-Balah in collaboration with Americares.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the program could offer a low-cost, group-based way to reduce PTSD and behavioral symptoms among war-traumatized adolescents in Gaza.
How similar studies have gone: Similar group-based mind-body and trauma-focused programs have shown promise for reducing trauma symptoms in other conflict-affected or disaster-exposed youth, but evidence is limited and varies by context.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * being 11-17 years old and living in Gaza * having experienced a political violence or war-related criterion A stressor * meeting the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-(DSM-5-TR) criteria for PTSD according to the screening cut-off score on the Child PTSD Symptom Scale-5 (CPSS-5). Exclusion Criteria: * former psychotherapy or medication to treat mental disorders * having significant cognitive impairment.
Where it's running
-
The Center for Mind-Body Medicine
Deir al-Balah, Palestinian Territories Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Jamil A Atti, PhD
- Email: jatti@cmbm.org
- Phone: +972 (8) 288 8359
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.