Integrating Cultural Contexts in Trauma Therapy for Survivors of Gender-Based Violence in Kenya: An Integrative Review and Clinical Recommendations

Abstract

Gender-based violence (GBV) is an issue of both public and mental health concern not only in Kenya but also in Africa and globally. While men and boys are affected, GBV tends to affect mostly women and girls especially in low resource settings. GBV leads to negative psychological consequences such as anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Unfortunately, the survivors often face barriers like stigma, poverty, limited access to mental health services, and limited culturally adapted trauma based care interventions. Current mental health practices often fail to integrate culture, family, and community factors in the interventions. This review is grounded in Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory and contextualizes the problem through socio-cultural and structural lens. The review integrates Kenya and regional evidence regarding culturally adapted trauma interventions and offers clinical recommendations regarding assessment, case formulation, and intervention strategies. The review also includes ethical considerations and an equity analysis that evaluates the benefits of culturally adapted and responsive trauma-based care, potential harms, and how to mitigate such harms. It offers guidance for clinicians in mental health field and policy makers regarding ways to cater for the mental wellbeing of GBV survivors in the Kenyan context.