Abstract

A range of therapeutic interventions and services for victims of domestic violence have been reported and evaluated in recent years, mostly in western countries. There is less knowledge on the impact of such programmes in developing countries, in particular those exposed to political conflict at the same time. The aim of this study was to establish the short-term impact of a community intervention of group counseling and vocational training for women victims of domestic violence in the Gaza Strip. The sample consisted of 99 women aged 16-42 years, who had been referred to three centers of the Women Empowerment Programme. Pre- and post-intervention (six months) assessments included completion of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scale, the Brief Symptom Checklist, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience scale. Following the intervention, participants significantly improved on most mental health symptoms, in particular those of emotional nature. Total domestic violence, minor psychological abuse, and incidents of sexual assaults also significantly decreased, although there was no change in resilience scores. These promising findings indicate the importance of developing integrated programmes targeting both domestic violence and associated mental health difficulties, which are tailored to different cultural needs.

Key words: Domestic violence, interpersonal violence, empowerment, coping, Gaza strip, mental health, intervention.