ATTACKS HAVE LEFT KENYA IN A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS

Sometimes statistics to do with health issues can easily overwhelm us. All chronic diseases seem to be on the increase, demanding urgent intervention. Talk of cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and not to mention HIV-Aids; we are almost becoming immune to the statistics. However, it is critical to note that amongst all these statistics, there is a health challenge which is not only neglected, but also surrounded with a lot of myths – mental illness.

With environmental and psychological stresses in our nation today raging from bloody terror attacks, strained relationships, unemployment, economic hardships and lack of community support systems, mental illnesses are on increase. Currently, one out four people attending a primary health facility suffers from mental illness. The symptoms may not be interpreted as mental health. Like the young school-going girl who is withdrawn, her concentration level is low and her school grades have dropped rapidly. She becomes weak, fatigued and complaining of constant headaches and pain all over her body. But on diagnosis the doctors find nothing wrong. Frustrated, her parents take her back home and she is labelled a weakling, lazy and a poor student! Or this young man who was social, leading the youth church and the ‘darling’ of his family and community but all of a sudden has become quite a bully, aggressive and violent and the neighbours are suspecting that he has started taking drugs.Clearly, there is high level of ignorance and misconception about mental illnesses at the national, community and family level. A mentally ill person is thought to be that “mad” person out in the streets possibly half-naked, collecting papers, talking to themselves and who needs to be avoided lest s/he becomes violent.But many people are suffering quietly from anxiety attacks and depression and if no intervention comes their way, the situation will get out of hand.

A special report released in May last year showed that 12 million Kenyans suffered silently from mental illnesses and vast majority of those sick were unaware of their condition hence did not seek treatment.

Quoting Dr Catherine Mutisya, the deputy superintendent at Mathari National Hospital, it was reported that unlike in the past where doctors attended to between 40 and 50 patients a day in the psychiatric outpatient unit, as of April 2014, they were dealing with double that number. The report showed that the youth were worst hit and more of them were visiting the hospital with various mental challenges. For example, the number of youth aged between 18 and 24 who visited the Youth Centre at Kenyatta National Hospital’s department of mental health, as of last year, stood at 3,000 from 2,500 recorded in the previous years. It is worth noting that many such cases go unreported because of the stigma, lack of knowledge and misconception surrounding mental illnesses. Nevertheless, suicide among the youth has risen sharply, not only in Kenya but globally. In Kenya, It is estimated seven per cent of young males and ten per cent of young females have reported attempted suicide.

 The recent Garissa University terror attack left the youth, those directly affected and indirectly affected, traumatised. It is no wonder one more student died and others were injured at the University of Nairobi’s Kikuyu campus when a stampede occurred following blasts occasioned by a faulty underground electrical cable, which was judged as a terror attack. Ultimately, psychological trauma may lead to poor academic performance, increased health budget and as other physical and mental illnesses set in, low productivity, strained relationships, alcoholism, drug addiction and poor economic growth at the national level. The psychological trauma experienced in Kenya the last couple of years, going back to the 2007-2008 ethnic clashes, and the recent terror attacks, has increased the already aggravated mental health challenge in the country. 

But what is of critical concern is the shortage of mental health professionals in Kenya. We have about 100 trained psychiatrists, about 427 psychiatric nurses in the civil service and few qualified clinical and counselling psychologists. In addition, lack of a mental health policy in Kenya coupled with an outdated mental health act leaves Kenyans to the mercy of fate. With realisation that 10 to 15 per cent of Kenya’s population suffers from depression, anxiety and somatisation (a condition where an individual with depression develops physical illnesses), it is of paramount importance to strengthen formal and informal community structures and approaches and equip them to respond and intervene in the mental well ness of their members. For instance, think about the Garissa University parents, relatives and students who are still grieving and asking hard questions while images of their massacred children and colleagues flash in their minds.Should they be silenced and forgotten as Kenya moves to the next political agenda?

Article courtesy of Julia Kagunda who is a counseling psychologist and communication specialist involved in community-based psychosocial support with additional input from BasicNeeds UK in Kenya