Already there are too many families in Kenya suffering from mental ill health as I speak. How many people do you know who are either depressed (the most common mental illness) or suffering from some other disorder or illness? How long are we going to carry on living in denial of the mental state of many Kenyans? What are we doing about it? What are YOU doing about it?
Two years ago, depression was already a crisis in Kenya. What can it possibly be like now? By 2030, depression alone is likely to be the second highest cause of disease, second only to HIV/AIDS. Mental disorders affect men and women almost equally. However, almost all studies show a higher prevalence of depression among women than men, with a ratio of between 1.5:1 and 2:1. (Baseline study on the situation and governance of mental health and development services in Kenya).
A research by the Africa Mental Health Foundation: Sucide and Depression among adult patients admitted in general medical facilities in Kenya led by Professor of Psychiatry David M Ndetei found that on average 1 out of 10 patients had suicidal symptoms more so in younger (14.5%) than the older people (8.0%) and in the more depressed. Read the full article on http://allafrica.com/stories/201210110178.html
OPEN Minds Kenya 