Complex-Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Urban Egypt: Pilot Testing of a Culturally-adapted Evidence-Based Treatment Manual and Development of a Culture-specific Diagnostic

Background: The CPTSD diagnosis presented in the ICD-11 is supposed to provide core and culturally invariant symptoms, which is supported by recent research. Yet, evidence also shows the necessity of integrating culture-specific symptoms in intervention and diagnostic tools to enhance the validity and efficacy of such diagnoses and therapeutic interventions. Along with cultural aspects, there are relevant structural aspects e.g., economic, and social inequalities, which impact mental health. These aspects remain understudied in low middle income countries like Egypt, where there are considerable rates of violence.

Aims: The project aims to i) culturally adapt and pilot test the therapeutic manual ESTAIR/MPE in urban Egypt, and ii) to pilot test a cultural and structural module for the diagnostic assessment of CPTSD among the same target population. The objective is to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and initial impact on clinical outcomes of both the manual and diagnostic modules.

Methods: In earlier phases, the project gathered qualitative data from key informants on the cultural and structural dimensions of CPTSD in urban Egypt. Using the collected data, investigators culturally adapted this intervention and developed a diagnostic cultural module. Subsequently, the investigators will pilot-test it in four groups of five participants each, 20 participants in total. The project intends to collect both quantitative and qualitative measures to explore determined outcomes and analyze them accordingly.