Ukrainian Hope Groups

  Ukraine and other countries with Ukrainian refugees
  October 2023 - June 2024
Principal investigators Dr Susan Hillis and Dr Lucie Cluver
Co-investigators Sydney Tucker, Nicole Baldonado, Olya Ruina
Partners Oxford University and World Without Orphans
Funders Global Parenting Initiative Emerging Trends Fund Application, Imperial College, and World Without Orphans

Overview

This research is a two-armed pragmatic cluster randomized trial (CRT) testing the effectiveness of ‘Hope Groups’ – which are peer-led psychosocial and parenting support groups of 4-7 participants for Ukrainian caregivers affected by war.

Peer-led facilitators will recruit 2 or 4 Hope Groups (each group will consist of 4-7 participants) via their networks, such as through NGOs, FBOs (faith-based organization), and refugee settlement areas. After recruitment, Hope Groups will be randomized to ‘intervention’ or ‘control’, pair-matched on facilitator.

Intervention groups will receive Hope Groups immediately, while control groups will be placed on a wait-list to receive the Hope Groups next year.  Quantitative data will be collected through a self-administered, online, anonymous questionnaire among caregivers at baseline and immediately post-intervention.

Our aim is to test the effectiveness of Hope Groups on 1.) improving caregiver and child mental health 2.) reducing child abuse 3.) increasing playful parenting 4.) enhancing prevention of violence against women.

Context

Today, over 2 billion people are affected by conflict or violence, and caregivers affected by war are particularly at-risk for poor mental health and violence against children. This will be among the first RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of a psychosocial, parenting intervention amidst a war crisis. This intervention holds potential to help participants in this current study, and if found effective, it could be adapted to other war-affected areas to support caregivers and children affected by war worldwide.

Significance

Today, over 2 billion people are affected by conflict or violence, and caregivers affected by war are particularly at-risk for poor mental health and violence against children. This will be among the first RCTs evaluating the effectiveness of a psychosocial, parenting intervention amidst a war crisis.

This intervention holds potential to help participants in this current study, and if found effective, it could be adapted to other war-affected areas to support caregivers and children affected by war worldwide.

Project objective and setting

Our objective is to test the effectiveness of Hope Groups on 1.) improving caregiver and child mental health 2.) reducing child abuse 3.) increasing playful parenting 4.) enhancing prevention of violence against women.

Due to the context of the war in Ukraine, participants will be located both within Ukraine and in countries where Ukrainians are displaced. These countries include: Poland, Cyprus, Germany, the United Kingdom, and potentially other countries in Europe. Hope Groups are held both virtually, in-person, and hybrid (defined as some participants being in person while others are virtual).

Hope Groups aim to be flexible delivery systems of evidence-based content, since populations impacted by war need utmost flexibility in order to receive consistent support while surviving a crisis.

Therefore, the setting of the Hope Group is selected based on preferences of the facilitator and Hope Group participants; each facilitator will decide if they are offering an “in-person”, “virtual”, or “hybrid” support group prior to recruiting participants. In-person Hope Groups are held in locations such as churches, NGO/FBO buildings, or refugee settlement areas.