Kenya launches first national mental health survey

Kenya is set to carry out its first-ever national survey on mental health, with a newly inaugurated advisory committee expected to oversee and guide the landmark exercise.

The Ministry of Health on Tuesday launched the National Advisory Committee for the National Baseline Mental Health Survey, which will generate the country’s first nationally representative data on mental health conditions.

The advisory team, chaired by Health Director General Patrick Amoth and represented at the launch by Dr Bashir Issak, Head of Family Health, will provide oversight and direction throughout the survey.

Dr Bashir said the exercise is a critical step in bridging gaps flagged by the 2020 Taskforce on Mental Health, which pointed out the lack of comprehensive data on prevalence, treatment access and socio-economic factors.

“Kenya has for years lacked nationally representative data on mental health. This survey will provide critical insights into the prevalence of conditions, the treatment gaps, and the socio-economic determinants of mental health,” he said.

Amoth acknowledged that the country already has a mental health policy in place, but implementation has been slowed by limited resources. He referred to the 2021 Mental Health Investment Case, which called for more funding to expand services and close the treatment gap.

“This survey will generate national estimates, establish a baseline for monitoring progress, and guide decision-making on policy, resource allocation, and service delivery,” he said.

Kenya has already taken initial steps in data collection. The 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey (KDHS) became the first in Africa to include a mental health module, assessing socio-economic and health factors linked to depression.

Using a two-stage cluster sampling approach, the study examined variables such as age, gender, education, marital status, household wealth, and rural–urban residence. It also analysed chronic illnesses including hypertension, diabetes, heart disease and lung disease in relation to self-reported depression.

Out of 31,354 respondents, the survey found the prevalence of self-reported depression to be 2.6 per cent.

The analysis showed that people in the middle-income bracket were more likely to suffer depression, while those with chronic illnesses faced an even higher risk.

Hypertension and heart or lung diseases were each associated with more than threefold likelihood of depression.

The findings showed that while reported cases of depression were relatively low overall, there were wide disparities across counties and different social groups.

Researchers recommended that interventions should focus on people living with chronic conditions and those in the middle-income category, who were found to be disproportionately affected.

Globally, depression is one of the leading mental health challenges, with experts describing it as a condition that affects mood, thinking and behaviour, often linked to brain chemistry, genetics and exposure to difficult life events.

Kenya ranks among the top five African countries most affected by depression, with about 1.9 million cases, after Nigeria, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa.

Locally, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has reported that between 25 and 40 per cent of patients in health facilities are affected by mental illnesses, mainly depression, stress and anxiety disorders.

The Ministry of Health hopes the upcoming baseline survey will provide a clearer picture and guide more targeted interventions.