Mental health is a crucial aspect of an individual overall well being. In Kenya mental health issues have been on the rise mainly affecting the youths. According to the World Health Organization (W H O) mental disorder affects 1 out of 4 people globally. In Kenya mental health disorders are on the rise with depression taking the lead. Poverty, unemployment, social inequality, loss of loved ones, drug and substance abuse, HIV& AIDS and inadequate mental health services in the country have been the major factors contributing to depression among the youths in the country.
As disclosed by The Kenya Mental Health policy at least 1 in every 10 Kenyans is affected by mental illness. The youths in Kenya are ranked as number 5 in Africa since in the 16.9% population that they form in the country which is equivalent to 17.8 million youths between the age bracket of 15 – 34 years, 20% of that population is suffering from mental illness that is about 3,560,000 youths. Depression which is a severe mental health disorder that affects the majority of the youths, negatively changes a person’s mood, thought and behavior causing a feeling of sadness, hopelessness and worthlessness and this affects a person’s daily activities. Among the 3,560,000 who are having mental illness 2 million of them are affected by depression. The cases of depression are serious to an extent that 6.5% out of 100,000 youths in Kenya commits suicide; this translates to 6500 suicidal deaths as a result of depression in our country.
The rise of such cases pushed the government to come up with The Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015 – 2030) that provides a framework that guides mental health reforms aiming to ensure access to comprehensive integrated and high quality mental health care that is promotive, presentive, curative and rehabilitative. However, despite the government efforts to fight depression and mental illness in general the condition is worsening. Youths that come from poor backgrounds are depressed due to lack of school fees to finance their university and college education and also food, some end up dropping out of school and others are pressed by depression that they end up committing suicide and found dead in their rooms. The ones who have graduated are neither safe since the long tarmacking period makes them depressed since majority of their families rely on them to change the poor condition back at home since they sacrificed, struggled sold their pieces of land and animals in order to ensure that they stay in school, study, have a career, then employed and help their parents and the siblings, lack of jobs to such graduates depresses them so much.
The challenges that hinder the fight against depression and mental illness as a whole in Kenya are; low awareness, limited treatment options, implied cost of treating mental health disorder. African Mental Health Research Institute (AMHRI), showed that 7.5% of Kenyan youths ( 1,335,000) with mental health disorders had not received any treatment and 27 out of 47 Counties in Kenya did not had a psychiatrist. This highlights the need for better mental health services and support for this vulnerable population.
In order to fight depression among the youths in Kenya everyone should participate in one way or the other starting with the youths suffering from depression the mental health service providers, the government and the public at large and lastly the parents. The government and the private sectors should consider creating some employment space from the youths that are graduating from the Universities and colleges. This will beat the depression caused by the factor unemployment. It feels so bad for someone who has really struggled with a lot of challenges in order to get that diploma or degree ends up missing out on a job opportunity though fully qualified because of some corrupt officials who award jobs to unqualified people since they had something at hand in exchange for the job. The youths should also consider venturing into small businesses that require little capital to start and run so as to try and fight unemployment since it’s good to get something small at the end of the day rather than idling stressed and depressed due to unemployment.
Today, due to tough economic conditions parents spend a lot of time working in order to ensure their teens lack nothing; the time that they spend with their teens today is so minimal. This may seem okay but it is so unhealthy because the teens lack a person whom they can trust to share their issues with. Parents should show love and support to their teens by helping them to navigate their tough times and that they are always there for them. Parents should find time and encourage their teens to share their feelings and open up on their issues. The parents should also support their teens to escape depression by working with them to brainstorm some solutions to their problems but also avoid over telling them what to do since at their age they also need some space to figure out some solutions on their own. In times of conflict as everyone is sometimes subjected to stress, as a parent try not to discuss an issue with the teens while in anger you should first take a walk and a deep breath, cool down then come back and solve the conflict between the two of you, listen to their views and solve the issue calmly. By doing this the mental health of the teens will be at a better position.
Mental health care services should be designed to cater for the unique needs of these kinds of people including; addressing social isolation, loneliness and physical health conditions that may result in mental health issues. Public awareness campaigns should be launched to reduce the stigma associated with mental health issues and encourage more people seek help since the majority of the youths in Kenya do not seek treatment or help for depression mainly due to lack of knowledge and fear of being stigmatized.
By using combined effort in addressing these issues Kenya can improve the mental health and well being of its population, the youths being on the forefront since they hold the future of the country.
By Charles Kiprono