# Study Protocol of a feasibility and acceptability trial of Problem Management Plus with Emotional Processing (PM+EP) for forcibly displaced youth living in Sweden

## TL;DR

This study tests a new mental health intervention for forcibly displaced youth in Sweden to see if it is feasible and acceptable.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is the addition of an emotional processing module to an existing problem management intervention for forcibly displaced youth.

## Key findings

- The study will assess feasibility and acceptability of PM+EP in forcibly displaced youth.
- Secondary outcomes include measures of distress, depression, anxiety, and social support.
- Findings will be shared through publications and stakeholder communication.

## Abstract

Heightened rates of mental illness among children, young people and forcibly displaced adults are well-documented. Despite this, access to care in host countries is often low. Problem-management plus (PM+) is an intervention developed by the WHO that can be delivered through task-shifting by lay counsellors and has been shown to be effective in numerous studies. At the same time, it has been shown that PM+ has a limited effect on traumatic stress symptoms, a common problem among forcibly displaced individuals. In turn, to further these benefits, a novel emotional processing (EP) module has been developed to be adjunctively delivered alongside PM+(PM+EP).

The current study is a randomised controlled feasibility and acceptability study. 60 participants aged 16–25 will be randomly allocated to either PM+, PM+EP or care as usual. The primary outcome of this study will be the feasibility and acceptability of the delivery of PM+EP in forcibly displaced youth. Secondary outcomes are self-rated measures of distress, depression and anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, personally identified problems, hope, use of services and medications, general well-being and social support.

Following ethical approval in February 2024, recruitment commenced in October 2024. Study completion is anticipated by December 2025. Findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and communication with relevant stakeholders.

NCT06878092.