Researchers at Columbia University, in partnership with the Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health in Nairobi and Boston University, have published findings from a pilot randomized controlled trial testing a combined intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health intervention for women living in informal settlements in Kenya. The study, published in Social Science & Medicine, demonstrates that the combined intervention — WINGS+PM+ — is feasible, safe, and acceptable in resource-limited settings, with promising improvements in both IPV and mental health outcomes.

Background and Need

Intimate partner violence affects an estimated 30% of women globally, with rates in Kenya approaching 39% — and as high as 85% lifetime prevalence in Nairobi’s informal settlements. IPV is closely linked to common mental health disorders including depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), yet access to both IPV-specific and mental health services in these communities is severely limited.

Over one billion people worldwide live in informal settlements, a population that is growing. In Nairobi, more than half the city’s population resides in informal settlements, where essential public health infrastructure remains scarce and dedicated IPV programs are largely absent.

About the Study

The research team recruited 260 women from two public health clinics in Nairobi’s Mathare and Kibera settlements between May and August 2024. Eligible participants were 18 or older, had experienced IPV in the prior three months, and felt safe to participate. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two arms:

•  WINGS+PM+ (treatment): Seven 90-minute weekly sessions integrating Problem Management Plus (PM+), a WHO-developed psychological intervention, with WINGS — a screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) model addressing IPV specifically.
•  PM+ only (control): Five 90-minute weekly sessions focused on stress management, problem-solving, building social support, and positive activity engagement.

All sessions were delivered by trained community health promoters — community members already embedded in local health systems — making the intervention scalable and low-cost.

Key Findings

Feasibility and Acceptability

•  93.5% of participants completed the six-month follow-up assessment.
•  Approximately 96% of participants across both arms completed all assigned sessions.
•  Roughly 99% of participants reported satisfaction with the intervention.
•  No adverse events occurred as a result of study participation.

IPV and Mental Health Outcomes

•  Both arms showed significant reductions in all forms of IPV — psychological, physical, and sexual — at six months compared to baseline.
•  Both arms showed significant improvements in depression, anxiety, PTSD, disability/functioning, and personalized problems at six months.
•  Participants in the WINGS+PM+ arm showed significantly lower PTSD scores compared to PM+ alone at three months, suggesting IPV-specific content may provide short-term trauma benefits.
•  Self-efficacy scores and IPV service utilization increased significantly over time.

Significance and Next Steps

This is the first randomized controlled trial to evaluate a combined IPV screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment intervention alongside a psychological distress reduction program among women living in extreme poverty. The authors note that the strong performance of PM+ alone may have limited the ability to detect additional benefits from WINGS components in this feasibility study, and recommend a fully powered efficacy trial — potentially with a three-arm design — to better isolate the effects of each intervention component.

The authors also highlight the importance of addressing the noted disparities between clinic sites, and the need for longer-term follow-up assessments in future studies.

 

About the Organizations

Columbia University (New York, NY): Lead institution for the study, home to the research team that conceptualized and led the trial.

Africa Institute of Mental and Brain Health (Nairobi, Kenya): Kenyan partner institution responsible for in-country implementation, community engagement, and supervision.

Boston University (Boston, MA): Contributing partner providing biostatistical expertise and analytical support.

Funding

This study was funded by the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health (K01TW011775). The funder had no role in study design or analysis.

Citation

Winter, S.C., Obara, L.M., Ndetei, D., Mutiso, V., Gilbert, L., Bellamy, S.L., Shin, G.U., Shrestha, A., & Witte, S.S. (2026). Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a combined intimate partner violence (IPV) and mental health intervention (WINGS+PM+) for women in informal settlements in Kenya. Social Science & Medicine, 395, 119095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2026.119095

 

Contact

Samantha C. Winter, PhD

Columbia University, School of Social Work

1255 Amsterdam Ave, Room 711, New York, NY

Email: scw2154@columbia.edu