Sharing for relief: associations of trauma-focused interviews and well-being among war-affected displaced populations in the Middle East

Nonmaleficence is a key ethical value of research among vulnerable populations. Trauma-focused research typically includes detailed interviews about traumatic life events and post-traumatic symptoms. This raises concerns about causing distress and harm for the affected individuals. We aimed to determine the immediate effects of trauma-focused interviews on participants' wellbeing. We developed the brief Distress and Harm Scale (DH7) for the assessment of current symptoms of distress and urge to harm oneself or others. Using data from 332 Iraqi and Syrian children and both of their parents (N = 996), we assessed these symptoms before and after participating in trauma-focused interviews. Results showed that the mean levels of self-reported distress and harm impulses were significantly decreased among adults and children rather than increased immediately after the interviews. Once measures to safeguard cases at risk are carefully implemented in research, the potential benefits of participating in trauma-focused interviews outweigh the risk for individuals. Potential implications of the results for ethical review boards evaluating trauma-focused studies are discussed.