Refugee sleep secrets: study seeks answers
NCT ID NCT07566481
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Sep 18, 2026 · Updated 59 times
Summary
This study looks at how stress from being a refugee—like trauma, discrimination, and adjusting to a new culture—affects sleep in Bhutanese refugees living in Ohio. Researchers will hold focus groups and interviews with 70 adults to understand their sleep problems and coping strategies. The goal is to find out what kind of support and resources could help improve their sleep and overall health.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this study could reveal key stressors and coping strategies affecting sleep in Bhutanese refugees, pointing toward better community support programs.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage observational study with only 70 participants, so findings may not apply to all refugee groups. It aims to gather insights, not test a treatment.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 70 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Sep 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A government research agency
The lead sponsor is the US National Institutes of Health.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
This study will enroll between 48-60 adults (18+ years) living in Ohio, US for Focus Group Discussions and 10 adults (18+ years) who work with or support Bhutanese Refugees living in Ohio.
- Ages
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18 to 120 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
* INCLUSION CRITERIA: In order to be eligible to participate in a FGD for this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Adult (aged 18 years or older) living in Ohio, US 2. Self-identify as Bhutanese-Nepali or Bhutanese American 3. Identify as a refugee 4. Speak and understand English and/or Nepali. 5. Ability to understand and the willingness to provide informed consent and participate in the FGD In order to be eligible to participate in a KII for this study, an individual must meet all of the following criteria: 1. Adult (aged 18 years or older) 2. Ability to speak and understand English; Familiarity with the lives and experiences of Bhutanese refugees living in Ohio, US 3. Ability to understand and the willingness to provide informed consent and participate in the virtual KII. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: Individuals who are unable to communicate in either English or Nepali will be excluded from FGD. Since Nepali is the primary language spoken by most Bhutanese refugees before relocation, and English is the dominant language in the United States, participants are expected to have sufficient proficiency in at least one of these languages. Individuals who are unable to communicate in English will be excluded from KII. Given their leadership roles and interactions with the healthcare system, educational institutions, local government service providers, and nonprofit organizations in Ohio-where English is the primary language-participants are expected to have sufficient English proficiency. We will not exclude any participants that meet the inclusion criteria from participating in the study overall or in any of the study procedures. Children (individuals under 18) are excluded from this study because the knowledge sought is not relevant to this population. This study investigates the relationship between sleep quality and experiences of discrimination among Bhutanese-Nepali refugees in Ohio, as well as the coping mechanisms adults use to manage discrimination-related stress, particularly as it pertains to sleep. The constructs under investigation, including perceived discrimination, its psychosocial impact, and adaptive coping strategies, are anchored in the adult experience of resettlement and the stressors associated with adult social and occupational life. Children's experiences of discrimination, sleep patterns, and coping mechanisms differ substantially from those of adults in both nature and context, and findings from an adult sample would not be generalizable to a pediatric population. For these reasons, the inclusion of children would not yield scientifically meaningful data relevant to the study aims.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio
Columbus, Ohio, 43229, United States
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