an evaluation of a family counseling intervention ("tuko pamoja") in kenya: a single case series design

Conditions: Mental Health; Family Relations; Family Conflict; Child Mental Disorder; Adolescent - Emotional Problem; Adolescent Problem Behavior; Child Behavior; Child Abuse; Marital Conflict; Domestic Violence; Parent-Child Relations; Parenting

Summary: the purpose of this study is to evaluate a family counseling intervention, entitled "tuko pamoja" (translation "we are together" in kiswahili). the intervention, delivered by lay counselors and through existing community social structures, is expected to improve family functioning and individual mental health among members. the sample includes highly distressed families with a child or adolescent (ages 8-17) exhibiting emotional or behavioral concerns; as such, particular emphasis is placed on adolescent-focused outcomes, including mental health and well-being.

the purpose of this study is to evaluate a family counseling intervention, entitled "tuko pamoja" (translation "we are together" in kiswahili), using a single case series design. the intervention, delivered by lay counselors and through existing community social structures, focuses on improving family relationships and mental health with content derived from evidence-based practices; these include solution-focused family therapy and cognitive behavioral strategies. it is components based, with modules delivered based on need. the content and structure has been adapted in both content and implementation model based on formative research in this context. primary hypotheses include achieving improvements in outcomes related to: 1. family functioning, including elements such as communication, emotional closeness, structure and organization, and satisfaction for the overall family; this also includes indicators of functioning at dyadic levels (i.e., parent-child and couples functioning) 2. mental health of both children and caregivers, including positive well-being, with a particular emphasis on outcomes for children and adolescents. the investigators also hypothesize feasibility and acceptability based on a previous evaluation of the program and are analyzing community-sourced practices used by lay counselors. investigators hypothesize that they are integrating locally-grounded strategies that may influence the delivery or outcomes of the intervention. the study will follow a single case series design with a sample size of 8 families, including up to 3 caregivers per family (who hold primary responsibility for the child whether biological or non-biological) and a target child identified through caregiver-report of the child about whom they are most concerned. this design will allow for tracking changes in outcome variables over time and for linking clinical changes to session content and delivery strategies.

Eligibility criteria:
inclusion criteria: * family with self-reported elevated distress (e.g., high levels of conflict) that also has a child/adolescent (ages 8-17) with caregiver-reported emotional or behavioral concerns exclusion criteria: * families without reported distress and/or without reported adolescent distress. * families with children older than 17 or younger than 8 years of age. * families in which primary caregivers or children are living too far outside of the community to participate in treatment.

Keywords: africa kenya family relations child mental health adolescent mental health family therapy program evaluation family conflict marital conflict domestic violence parenting parent-child relations child abuse low- and middle-income country