Universities and other institutions of higher learning have been asked to invest in recruiting more mental health counsellors.
This follows what Unmasked Society – Moi University Annex campus chairperson Joy Mutongi says is the high number of young adults facing mental health issues today.
Speaking during World Mental Health Day 2022, Mutongi said having sufficient counsellors will be an eye-opening experience in dealing with the challenge.
“We need school counsellors who should not be low-key. We have few counsellors, only one in Annex and is a lot to handle. There should be segments where more counsellors are involved. It would be eye-opening for everyone to experience,” she said.
Mutongi spoke at the Moi University Annex campus on October 10, 2022, as university students gathered to mark World Mental Health Day 2022.
The day was marked by the screening of depression and different phycologists.
According to the Unmasked Society Annex chairperson, depression is one of the most popular mental health issues that many youths face today.
However, she notes that some of those facing mental health issues deny facing the challenge hence the need for more sensitization on the issue.
Depression
“Metal health is a vital issue in society and in young adults. It is quite something. Young adults go through a lot and depression is the most popular mental issue and at times we’re unaware of it,” Mutongi said.
“Sometimes we deny but at the end of the day, through different clubs, like unmasked society and peer counselling, they accept their situation and get help,” she added.
World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma.
It was first celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries.
A 2020 report by a Kenya mental health taskforce indicated that Kenya has a high burden of mental illness due to ill health, psychosocial disability and premature mortality with huge gaps in access to care.
It is estimated that one in every 10 people suffer from a common mental disorder in the country.
In June 2022, then President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the Mental Health Act 2022 which seeks to ensure that all persons with mental health needs receive the highest attainable standard of care in line with the Kenyan Constitution.
The act also mandates both the national and county governments to provide the necessary resources for the provision of mental health care and treatment.
The move came at a time various stakeholders were urging the government to declare mental health a national emergency as cases of various mental health conditions were on the rise in the country and beyond.
