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Kisii University Vice Chancellor Prof John Akama has appealed to families with mental health patients to support them to get treatment.

The VC noted some families hide relatives with mental illnesses due to stigma.

He was speaking at the university yesterday after he closed a three-day Kenya Universities Peer Counselors Association (Kupca) inaugural conference themed “Mental Health in an Unequal World” organised by the association.

“I appeal to the government to set up mental hospitals in each county, equip and staff them to meet the required standards to handle the increasing number of people suffering from mental diseases,” Prof Akama explained.

The don challenged the youth to shun being influenced through social media to abuse drugs and alcohol, saying they cause stress and mental illnesses.

Women, youth, elderly persons, marginalised and poor people, noted the VC, suffer most from mental diseases due to poverty and implored the government, universities and religious organisations to develop a structure to identity and support them.