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Evaluation ViewAttendees 5

Global Mental Health
Session Type:: Symposia

Symposium 32 - Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH): Effectiveness, Implementation, and Lay Trainer Perspectives in a Mosque-Based Mental Health Intervention

Saturday, November 22, 2025
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CST
Location: Empire D, Level 2
CE: 1.5

Keywords: Clinical Trial, Trauma, Community-Based
Level of Familiarity: Basic to Moderate
Recommended Readings: Zoellner, L. A., Bentley, J. A., Musa, K., Mohamed, F., Ahmed, L. B., King, K. M., ... & Ali, E. (2024). Lay-led intervention for war and refugee trauma: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open, 7(8), e2429661-e2429661.,   Bentley, J. A., Feeny, N. C., Dolezal, M. L., Klein, A., Marks, L. H., Graham, B., & Zoellner, L. A. (2021). Islamic trauma healing: Integrating faith and empirically supported principles in a community-based program. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 28(2), 167-192.,   Klein, A. B., Egeh, M. H., Bowling, A. R., Holloway, A., Ali, A. A., Abdillahi, Z. A., ... & Zoellner, L. A. (2023). WhatsApp supervision for a lay‐led Islamic trauma‐focused intervention in Somaliland: Qualitative content analysis. Journal of traumatic stress, 36(1), 59-70.,   ,  

Mental health needs in Somalia and the broader Horn of Africa remain critically underserved due to ongoing humanitarian crises and limited access to state-of-the-art care. Islamic Trauma Healing (ITH) is a mosque-based, lay-led group intervention designed to address trauma-related mental health concerns using Islamic principles combined with empirically-supported cognitive restructuring and exposure techniques. This symposium presents findings from a hybrid effectiveness-implementation randomized controlled trial (RCT) conducted in Somaliland, evaluating ITH’s impact on trauma-related mental health outcomes, its feasibility and sustainability through a train-the-trainers (TTT) model, and qualitative insights from lay facilitators delivering the intervention.
Presentation 1: Effectiveness of Islamic Trauma Healing on PTSD and Mental Health Outcomes
Speaker: Lori Zoellner, Ph.D.
This talk will present the primary mental health outcomes of the RCT, focusing on reductions in posttraumatic stress symptoms, depression, and somatic complaints. Findings from participants randomized to either immediate or waitlist ITH conditions will be discussed, with data on symptom trajectories over three-month follow-up assessments.
Presentation 2: Implementation Outcomes of a Train-the-Trainer Model for Islamic Trauma Healing
Speaker: Norah Feeny, Ph.D.
Scaling community-based interventions requires sustainable implementation models. This presentation will examine key implementation outcomes of ITH, including feasibility, fidelity, trainer competence, and cost-effectiveness. The talk will highlight the strengths and challenges of utilizing a TTT model within the mosque infrastructure.
Presentation 3: Lay Trainers’ Perspectives on Delivering Islamic Trauma Healing
Speaker: Daniella Levine, MS
Community lay leaders play a vital role in ITH’s success. This qualitative analysis explores trainers' experiences, barriers to delivery, and cultural adaptations needed for effective engagement. Findings will be drawn from interviews with lay facilitators, shedding light on their perceptions of the intervention’s impact and scalability.
Discussant Commentary
Vaishali V. Raval, Ph.D.
Dr. Raval will integrate findings across the three presentations, discussing their broader implications for scaling ITH in diverse Islamic communities. She will address cultural and structural considerations for expanding trauma-informed mental health interventions within faith-based settings globally.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of this session, the learner will be able to:
  1. Describe key components of the lay-led intervention Islamic Trauma Healing and mental health outcomes.
  2. Understand the implementation of a train the trainers model and outcomes of acceptability of the intervention.
  3. Highlight key themes of trainer qualitative feedback in training new lay leaders in the program.

Presentations:

  • 10:03 AM - 10:22 AM CST
    (SYM 32) Effectiveness of Islamic Trauma Healing on PTSD and Mental Health Outcomes

    Speaker: Lori A. Zoellner, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) – University of Washington

    Co-author: Jacob Bentley, Ph.D. – University of Washington

    Co-author: Abdislan Awke, BS (he/him/his) – SOYDAVO

    Co-author: Amna Asim, MA (she/her/hers) – University of Washington

    Co-author: Mohamed Farah, MS (he/him/his) – University of Burao

    Co-author: Ahmed Ismail, MS (he/him/his) – University of Burao

  • 10:22 AM - 10:41 AM CST
    (SYM 32) Implementation Outcomes of a Train-the-trainer Model for Islamic Trauma Healing

    Speaker: Norah C. Feeny, Ph.D. – Case Western Reserve University

    Co-author: Muumin Egeh, BS (he/him/his) – SOYDAVO

  • 10:41 AM - 11:00 AM CST
    (SYM 32) Lay Trainers' Perspectives on Delivering Islamic Trauma Healing

    Speaker: Daniella Levine, M.A. (she/her/hers) – Case Western Reserve University

    Co-author: Sinan Payat, B.A. – Case Western Reserve University

    Co-author: Haneen Shibli, Ph.D. – University of Washington