Development and Efficacy of Family CORE-Based Program on The Trauma Symptoms Among Family Members of Victims of Drug-Related Violence

Abstract

The illicit drug trade is a persistent global threat often met with punitive measures that leave behind a trail of psychological trauma for the families of victims. In the Philippines, the intense anti-drug campaign between 2016 and 2018 resulted in thousands of deaths and arrests. While rehabilitation programs for drug users are prevalent, there is a severe scarcity of restorative interventions for their family members—those who witness or survive the sudden arrest, kidnapping, torture, or killing of loved ones. This study aimed to address this gap by developing and testing the efficacy of the Family CoRe-based intervention program specifically designed to alleviate trauma symptoms in this vulnerable population. The research utilized an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design. Phase I involved qualitative exploration through focus group discussions with community leaders and in-depth interviews with nine family members of victims in Taguig City. This phase identified six core themes: disbelief, depression (encompassing helplessness, guilt, and emotional pain), anxiety-arousal/fear, anger, intrusive experiences, and defensive avoidance. These themes served as the foundation for the "Family CoRe" program, an acronym reflecting its theoretical integration of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Reality Therapy. The resulting intervention consists of seven modules delivered over nine sessions, facilitated in a small group format. In Phase II, the program’s efficacy was tested using a one-group pretest-posttest single-subject design. Due to COVID-19 pandemic constraints, five participants completed this phase. The Trauma Symptoms Inventory-2 (TSI-2) was utilized to measure psychological distress across four primary factors: Self-Disturbance (SELF), Post-traumatic Stress (TRAUMA), Externalization (EXT), and Somatization (SOMA). Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS, with Hedge’s g employed to calculate effect size and correct for bias inherent in small sample sizes. Results indicated that participants initially presented with clinically elevated T-scores, with the TRAUMA factor being the most prominent (M = 64.80). Specifically, Anxious Arousal (AA) and Defensive Avoidance (DA) recorded the highest baseline means (M = 19.33), followed by Depression, Somatic Preoccupations, and Intrusive Experiences. Following the implementation, post-test scores revealed a substantial decrease across all trauma domains. The TRAUMA factor mean dropped significantly to 17.6, while SELF decreased from 46.40 to 12.40, EXT from 32.20 to 16.20, and SOMA from 19 to 5.4.
The study concludes that the Family CoRe-based program is a feasible and effective restorative approach. CBT-informed components successfully targeted maladaptive appraisals and hypervigilance, while Reality Therapy empowered participants to restore agency and re-engage in daily routines. These results suggest that the program provides measurable relief for families experiencing violent bereavement. However, given the pilot nature of this study, further validation through true experimental designs with larger cohorts is recommended to ensure long-term sustainability