Researchers at American University Release New Data on Anxiety Disorders (Evaluation of the METRA + intervention on mental health and social functioning in Afghan refugee adolescents in Pakistan: a pilot study).

This article focuses on a pilot study evaluating the Memory Training for Recovery-Adolescent Plus (METRA+) intervention designed to address posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, and social functioning among Afghan refugee adolescents in Pakistan. The 13-session METRA+ program integrates compassionate communication, memory specificity, and written exposure, showing significant reductions in PTSD, depression, and anxiety symptoms, with improvements maintained at two-month follow-up. While quantitative improvements in social and communication skills were non-significant, qualitative data indicated enhanced emotion regulation, self-efficacy, empathy, and academic motivation. The study highlights METRA+ as a culturally relevant, feasible, and potentially effective approach for mental health support in humanitarian and low-resource settings, recommending further research through larger randomized controlled trials. [Extracted from the article]