Nakuru County Government is working on a new comprehensive mental health wellness support project aimed at improving access to mental healthcare and reducing stigma surrounding mental illness.
The devolved unit’s administration has announced that the initiative will focus on providing support within communities and at workplaces, including training of supervisors to recognise signs of mental health issues and offer appropriate support.
County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Health Services Ms Roselyn Mungai indicated that the project will also focus on providing psychoeducational support and training for selected community members and managers at workplaces towards promoting free discussion on mental health challenges and empowering members of the Kenyan society on how to identify, cope and respond to mental health concerns.
The initiative that is being designed to place an emphasis on community outreach and education programmes to reduce stigma surrounding mental illness and encourage individuals to seek help has received support from Amref Health Africa, Johnson & Johnson’s Global Health Equity team, the University of Nairobi, the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) and the NGO Kamili.
Speaking when she hosted the project’s inception meeting at the Nakuru County Referral and Teaching Hospital (NCRTH), Ms Mungai noted that the cost of inaction on mental wellness far exceeds the investment required to address it.
The CECM affirmed that strategic planning and resource allocation can significantly improve mental health outcomes and acknowledged that there was a push to integrate mental healthcare services into primary healthcare facilities to make it more accessible to the wider population.
“Global partnerships, increased resource allocation and culturally relevant strategies are vital to making mental wellness a reality for all. Only then can we ensure that mental health is viewed not as a luxury but as a fundamental human right accessible to every Kenyan and African,” she said.
Ultimately, neglecting mental wellness, Ms Mungai noted, results in lost lives, reduced productivity, and societal strain. To confront this crisis, Governor Susan Kihika’s administration is prioritising mental health, recognising its profound impact on all sectors, she added.
“In implementing the initiative, there is a need for context-driven programming that will keep target beneficiaries at the core of project design. The initiative will focus on strengthening mental health services at both community and facility levels, with significant involvement of healthcare workers, particularly Community Health Promoters (CHPs), to enhance early identification, treatment, and referral of mental health conditions,” the CECM elaborated.
The project inception meeting brought on board the County Health Management Team (CHMT) members, led by Chief Nurse Ms Wendy Tirop, and sub-county and clinical teams. Partner representatives included Dr Regero Regero from Johnson & Johnson, Dr Catherine Kanari from Amref Health Africa and Dr Florence Maina from KMTC.
The CECM also highlighted the county government’s obligation to both deliver services and support the well-being of its health workforce, emphasising the importance of close collaboration with partners throughout planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
Ms Mungai reiterated Governor Kihika’s call for accountability and good stewardship for all resources provided to the department to further the objective of excellence in service delivery.
In Kenya, about 25 percent of outpatient visits and 40 percent of inpatient admissions to health facilities relate to mental health conditions, according to the Ministry of Health.
Conditions such as depression, stress, burnout, anxiety disorders, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder are prevalent, with 1 in 4 Kenyans likely to experience a mental health issue at some point in their lives, according to statistics from the Ministry.
Experts have flagged the mental issues that also include attention deficit hyperactivity, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder as a silent pandemic afflicting Kenyan society in large proportions that no one wants to talk about.
They have warned that putting the mental health of workers on the back burner means an increase in reported violent crimes, homicides, suicides, and gender-based and sexual violence.
Most of the disorders, they say, are triggered by both work-related and social issues.
To create a mentally healthy community, Ms Mungai advised community leaders and superiors at workplaces to understand the unique needs of individuals and interventions needed to protect and promote mental health in homes and workplaces.
She said it was important to open up channels of communication in the community and workplaces as a way of detecting any form of stress among them and was always keen to detect any trigger that may lead to depression, stress or mental illness and act immediately.
The economic burden of mental health issues is staggering; the African Mental Health Research and Training Foundation estimates Kenya loses nearly Sh50 billion ($340 million) annually due to productivity losses linked to mental health challenges.
The Foundation notes that access to mental health services is critically limited in Kenya, which has fewer than 100 practising psychiatrists for a population of over 53 million.
Most mental health facilities are concentrated in urban centers. In addition, the costs of seeking mental health care, combined with cultural stigma, hinder many from accessing the help they need.
Ms Mungai indicated that mental wellness is a vital component of societal health, economic productivity, and overall development.
She suggested that its costs—both financial and human—should be prioritised in policy planning and resource allocation due to its significant social and economic implications.
The CECM pointed out that as mental health gains recognition as a public health crisis, international efforts are increasing to address it. The United Nations has included “mental health and well-being” in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly under SDG 3, which focuses on good health and well-being.
While this global spotlight is crucial, Ms Mungai said efforts should be made in translating these aspirations into tangible improvements, especially in resource-limited settings like Kenya.
She maintained that addressing the true cost of mental wellness begins with breaking the silence surrounding mental health.
In Kenya, the Mental Health Amendment Bill 2022 was a step in the right direction, aiming to prioritize mental health and establish a mental health board to advise the government. However, mental health experts have indicated that legislation alone cannot solve the issue; they hold that increased funding, community engagement, and partnerships across public and private sectors are essential.
At workplaces Ms Mungai indicated that they had previously rolled out several mental wellness initiatives that were friendly to employers while creating an environment that allows workers of all cadres to freely share their personal problems and challenges at workplaces.
She said the county government was providing psychoeducational support to its workers, as there was an increasing demand for these services.
“We have in the past launched comprehensive campaigns to sensitise employees about the dangers of alcohol and drug use, while also providing effective stress management techniques,” she said.
Ms Mungai indicated that once a mental health issue is detected or suspected, any workplace supervisors should act immediately, bearing in mind that this is neither a disciplinary nor a human resources issue.
While acknowledging that mental health is a serious predicament in the country, she encouraged health workers to consult their superiors, peers, and family members when faced with difficult times, adding that their issues can be addressed if shared.
Counselling experts have highlighted the need to embrace open and honest conversations within the family unit, explaining that seeking professional counselling would help in navigating complex emotions.
A recent study has revealed that many middle- and top-level organisations in Kenya, including government departments and agencies, are populated by workers who are suffering unattended from a wide range of mental illnesses, including depression, stress, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and anger.
The research has also shown that these health problems cause more days of work loss and work impairment than many other chronic conditions, like diabetes, asthma and arthritis.
One of the most visible and devastating manifestations of the mental health challenge is suicide, estimated at about four cases per day by the World Health Organisation.
By Jane Ngugi
