Evaluation of psychosocial intervention for children exposed to ethnic conflict in Kenya

In as much as it is well established that armed conflict, resulting from either political or ethnic violence, impacts adversely on children’s mental health, psychosocial interventions for affected children have received little research attention. There have been many studies conducted on young people’s mental health needs, but there is still limited evidence on what helps children affected in post- conflict areas.

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of such an intervention to help children exposed to ethnic violence in Nakuru, Kenya, to cope better with their distress and other mental health problems. The study was carried out in two linked phases. In phase 1, focus groups were held with community stakeholders (young people, parents, teachers and other professionals) to establish their views on children’s mental health needs and culturally acceptable interventions.