Abstract summary 

Mental health promotion interventions are widely implemented in humanitarian settings and low- and middle-income contexts (LMICs), yet evidence on effectiveness is scarce and mixed. This study evaluated the movement-based mental health promotion intervention "" in Bidibidi refugee settlement, in Northern Uganda.A quasi-experimental study including four schools (two per arm) assessed the outcomes of 10- to 15-year-old South Sudanese and Ugandan children ( = 549). Randomly allocated, they either participated in up to 11 sessions ( = 265) provided by trained facilitators; or belonged to a control group, which continued care as usual ( = 284). Primary outcomes measured psychosocial wellbeing, friendships and attitude to school; secondary outcomes included traumatic distress, depressive symptoms, quality of life, physical health, bullying, interoceptive awareness, and irritability. Data were collected at baseline and endline.Children joining , showed significantly more improvements on primary outcomes: emotional and psychosocial wellbeing (M = -1.49, SE = 0.6,  = .01), satisfaction with and attitude toward school (-0.57, SE = 0.2,  = .004); and secondary outcomes: traumatic stress (2.64, SE = 0.8,  < .001), health-related quality of life (-1.56, SE = 0.4,  = .001), physical health (-0.78, SE = 0.3,  = .014) and the mechanisms of action scale (-3.34, SE = 0.9,  < .001), specifically the subscales social connectedness (-0.74, SE = 0.3,  = .007) and sense of agency (-0.91, SE = 0.3,  = .005), compared to the control group. No significant differences were found on bullying, interoceptive awareness, irritability and depressive symptoms.The results are promising for as a mental health promotion intervention for children affected by armed-conflict, displacement and on-going adversity. Further research will need to assess the intervention's effectiveness.

Authors & Co-authors:  Bleile Koppenol-Gonzalez Orech Verreault Jordans

Study Outcome 

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