Psychosocial Support Interventions for Children with a History of Maltreatment: The Situation in the East African Community. An Integrative Systematic Review

Abstract

Abstract: Psychosocial support is an integral aspect for consideration while mitigating the devastating effects of child maltreatment. There is a scarcity of research regarding available psychosocial support interventions for maltreated children in developing countries. This systematic review aimed at establishing child protection and care policy, and available psychosocial support interventions for children with a history of maltreatment in the EastAfrican community. Online databases and gray literature from WHO websites published between 2015 and April 2020 were searched. This systematic review stipulates the existing psychosocial interventions in EastAfrica, their effectiveness, acceptability, and appropriateness which is useful information for adolescents, families, education stakeholders, and policymakers. It is recommended that psychosocial support interventions to mitigate child maltreatment in East Africa ensure to focus on children and adolescents as primary encounters of violence, be age-appropriate, and be gender-specific since there are gender-based variations in the effects of maltreatment.

Key terms: Child Maltreatment, Abuse, Neglect, Violence, Psychosocial Support Interventions, Adolescents