Narrative Exposure Therapy versus treatment as usual in a sample of trauma survivors who live under ongoing threat of violence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: One in three individuals who live in Rio de Janeiro experience a traumatic event within a period of 12 months. In the favelas particularly, trauma exposure is ongoing. Psychological sequalae include posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and other mental disorders. Trauma-focused therapy approaches have emerged as the treatment of choice when the dangerous events are over, but symptoms have remained for an extended time period. Ideally, the victim is in a safe context during treatment. However, frequently, survivors cannot escape from situations characterised by ongoing threat and traumatic stress. The aim of this study is to research the effectiveness of Narrative Exposure Therapy in a sample of PTSD patients living under these conditions. METHODS: Individuals fulfilling the criteria for PTSD and who live in conditions of ongoing community violence (i.e. in the favelas) in Rio de Janeiro will be randomly assigned to one of two treatments: Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) or treatment as usual (TAU). Clinical endpoints will be primarily PTSD and secondarily symptoms of shutdown dissociation, depression, substance involvement and functionality. DISCUSSION: Effective treatment for PTSD patients who live in unsafe conditions could substantially reduce suffering of individuals and their families in Brazil. Based on this result, the extent to which such interventions may be useful as a first step in tackling the consequences of violence on a global scale will be discussed. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (German Clinical Trials Register) DRKS00017843. Registered on September 24, 2019 SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s13063-021-05082-2.