Paper details

Paper authors	Kristin Hadfield
In panel on	What have we learned about adapting research methodologies for use in humanitarian crisis contexts?
Paper presenter(s) will be presenting	In-Person / Online

Abstract

Strengthening the evidence base for interventions is critical to the provision of effective support. In this paper, we reflect on a number of methodological challenges in conducting robust, scientific evaluations of mental health and psychosocial support interventions in humanitarian crisis contexts. We discuss how we adapted research methods to test the effectiveness of an 8-week psychosocial intervention aiming to alleviate stress and build resilience in war-affected youth. We conducted a randomized control trial with a balanced sample of 12-18 year old youth (54.8% Syrian, 56.8% male), both Syrian refugee and Jordanian non-refugees, in northern Jordan. We assessed program impacts with self-reports of psychosocial wellbeing, as well as with stress biomarkers and tablet-based cognitive testing. We focus our discussion on study design, specifically ethical issues and field-based adaptations, and the work needed to sustain effective collaborations across academia, NGOs, and local communities. We conclude on the lessons we learnt regarding innovative and relevant methods in a humanitarian crisis context, namely, what research looks like in practice. The authors of this paper are Rana Dajani, Kristin Hadfield, Mark Eggerman, Alastair Ager, and Catherine Panter-Brick. Rana Dajani and Kristin Hadfield will present.

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