Child-Parent Psychotherapy for Post-Earthquake Trauma in Preschool Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) in reducing trauma-related symptoms and improving attachment quality among preschool-aged children who experienced the 2023 Kahramanmaraş earthquakes in Türkiye. A total of 60 caregiver-child dyads (children aged 3-6) will be recruited from 11 earthquake-affected provinces. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the intervention group, receiving 12 weekly CPP sessions, or a no-intervention control group. CPP will be delivered by trained clinical psychologists through either online or face-to-face sessions. Assessments will be conducted at baseline, mid-intervention (after session 6), and post-intervention (after session 12). Outcomes include child trauma symptoms, social-emotional functioning, and attachment quality, as well as caregiver reflective functioning, stress, and emotional well-being.
• 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