Gender-Specific Mental Health Support Programmes for Domestic Violence Survivors in Nairobi's Slums: A Three-Year Evaluation

Domestic violence is a pervasive issue affecting women in Nairobi's slums, leading to significant mental health challenges such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety. A mixed-methods approach was employed, including pre- and post-programme assessments using standardised questionnaires to measure psychological outcomes. Qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' experiences and perceptions. Participants showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms (p < 0.05) from baseline, with an improvement rate of 62%, indicating the programme's effectiveness in addressing mental health issues among survivors. The gender-specific support programmes significantly improved psychological well-being and were perceived positively by participants. Continuation and expansion of such programmes are recommended to address ongoing needs, with a focus on community engagement for sustained impact. Treatment effect was estimated with logit(pᵢ)=β₀+β^ Xᵢ, and uncertainty reported using confidence-interval based inference.