2023 Grant Recipient:
Dafne Morroni, Clinical Psychology PhD Candidate of the University of Cyprus (Nicosia, Cyprus) and her supervisor (Dr. Maria Karekla) are proud to be the recipients of the 2023 ACBS Foundation Grant for Miss Morroni’s PhD research on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy with Unaccompanied Minors.
For this project, the Self-Help Plus (SH+) protocol (World Health Organization, 2021) which has been successfully implemented in adult refugees, was adapted for adolescents from 13- 18 years old. A four-week ACT group intervention is currently being carried out with unaccompanied minors in shelters in major cities across the country. It is anticipated that the ACT group intervention will improve the minors’ psychological wellbeing, augment prosocial behaviour, and enhance quality of life. The Foundation Grant will be funding translation and printing of therapy materials as well as interpreters for the intervention. The Foundation Grant will aid in establishing feasibility and acceptability of ACT in unaccompanied minors. We hope that the support of the Foundation Grant will lead to increased interest and funding resources for future research with this underserved and vulnerable population.