The Challenge
Despite the widespread mental health issues that human trafficking survivors experience, most lack access to specialized, trauma-informed, and evidence-based care. This can be especially challenging in contexts where health infrastructure is more limited. For instance, the Philippines is a primary hub for human trafficking activity and has high rates of psychological distress. Yet help-seeking is low, largely due to the lack of trained mental health providers and a perceived societal stigma about receiving mental health treatment. As a result, this can create conditions where survivors have a higher risk of revictimization.
Innovative and inclusive community-based interventions may be able to provide survivors with the care they need. Evidence suggests that trauma-informed mind-body approaches are a promising approach to improve their mental health by focusing on body movement, breathwork, and meditation. Translating this evidence into policy and practice is essential to ensure survivors can access effective and inclusive care when traditional mental health systems fall short.
The Program
Move with HaRT is a trauma-informed mind-body program that was developed in Uganda for women and girl survivors of human trafficking. Over 12 weekly sessions, survivors engage in yoga poses, breath work, guided meditations, mindfulness exercises, and group discussions. Evidence from Uganda suggested that participants at the end of the program reported improvements in their emotional and social wellbeing.
Based on these positive findings, the Move with HaRT program was culturally and contextually adapted by Eleison Foundation—a human trafficking-focused NGO—for implementation in Cebu, Philippines. The sessions were led by Eleison staff, who had a background in clinical psychology and in providing mental health care to survivors. The program facilitator received supplemental yoga training and training on facilitation of the Move with HaRT program.
This evaluation is the first to study the impact of a trauma-informed mind-body approach including yoga in Asia. Can HaRT Cebu demonstrate similar effectiveness as the program in Uganda and provide survivors with the mental health care that they need?
The Evaluation
Funded by HTRI and in collaboration with Eleison, researchers conducted a pilot evaluation to measure the effectiveness of HaRT Cebu in improving the mental health well-being of survivors of human trafficking. The study involved 18 participants, and researchers measured the prevalence of depression, PTSD, and anxiety.
Results
HaRT Cebu was effective in improving the well-being of trafficking survivors. One month after the intervention ended, the incidence of depression fell from 61 percent to 11 percent, anxiety from 44 percent to 6 percent, and PTSD from 56 percent to 17 percent. Moreover, findings from interviews support meaningful perceptions of change across physical, psychological and relational aspects of their lives, as well as resonance of the program’s trauma-informed approach and content.
Sources
1. Martinez, Andrea B., Melissa Co, Jennifer Lau, and June SL Brown. "Filipino help-seeking for mental health problems and associated barriers and facilitators: A systematic review." Social psychiatry and psychiatric epidemiology 55, no. 11 (2020): 1397-1413.
2. Bernardo, Allan BI, and Alicia F. Estrellado. "Locus-of-hope and help-seeking intentions of Filipino women victims of intimate partner violence." Current Psychology 36, no. 1 (2017): 66-75.
3. Cushing, Robin E., Kathryn L. Braun, C. I. S. W. Alden, Susan W. Iayt, and Alan R. Katz. "Military-tailored yoga for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder." Military medicine 183, no. 5-6 (2018): e223-e231.
Nolan, Caitlin R. "Bending without breaking: A narrative review of trauma-sensitive yoga for women with PTSD." Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 24 (2016): 32-40.
4. Namy, Sophie, Catherine Carlson, Kelsey Morgan, Violet Nkwanzi, and Jessica Neese. "Healing and Resilience after Trauma (HaRT) Yoga: Programming with survivors of human trafficking in Uganda." Journal of Social Work Practice 36, no. 1 (2022): 87-100.