Kenyans were on Friday urged not to stigmatise or vilify those suffering from mental illnesses, particularly the youth in colleges and universities.

Pastor Dorcas Gachagua, the wife of the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, instead asked those close to the victims as well as the general public to understand and support them.

Speaking during a youth forum dubbed Sikika Youth Fest held at Mount Kenya University (MKU) in Thika town Kiambu County; Pastor Dorcas expressed concerns over the increased cases of mental health and depression within universities and tertiary learning institutions. The meeting aimed at addressing mental health issues among the youth.

She called on the youth to speak out when depressed; “You must speak to one another; you must find someone to lean on. And we must offer shoulders to one another. Do not keep those things to yourself,”

Recovering addicts

 Pastor Dorcas disclosed that in a recent visit to Miritini Rehabilitation Centre in Mombasa County, she said she learned that at least 60 per cent of recovering addicts were university students and dropouts.

  “Mental health and drugs are robbing out country of a future generation. This is a global crisis, what we are trying to do is sensitisation so that people do not stigmatise those suffering,” she stated.

  She called on universities and institutions of higher learning to create offices of deans and counsellors to tackle mental health challenges.  “I look forward to a situation where every university will have a dean and counsellors to speak to our students, where students can get some help. We start to demystify mental illness so that those suffering can have the courage to talk to anyone around them,” she further said.

 As a boy child advocate, the second lady said she is more concerned because the male gender reports more cases of mental health and suicide than females. Sometimes, global culture assumes men are wired for anything and we don’t care about the boy. The boy child always has to stand up for a broken home and that’s why most of them are drug addicts with mental health issues.

 “As a mother, when I advocate for the boy child case, I am advocating for the girl child as well. Both must be brought up together and must be equally valued,” she remarked.

 The forum, held MKU’s Mwai Kibaki Convention Centre, brought together university students from various institutions under the theme sikika, tubonge, tusifiche.

 It aspires to see significant reduction in the number of young people living with anxiety and depression in Kenya.

 Dorcas said rehabilitation centres are being put in the counties so that people in need can be rehabilitated. “With the help of NHIF, it will be easier and accessible to all,” she said.

Mental disorders

 Dr Jane Nyutu, MKU Co-founder, similarly expressed her concerns that more youth are getting into mental disorders and depression through drug abuse, noting that this is mainly due to peer pressure.

 “We have the culture of ‘sponsorship’ that has rendered our youth desperate in their future lives. Not forgetting the celebrity culture, many want to live like someone they have seen on social media,” she said.

 Nyutu pointed out that social media and the internet are generally some of the major causes of mental imbalance and urged the youth to consume content on the platforms wisely. “Many of our young people have fallen into stress and depression when they feel they are different from others they see on the internet,” she added.

 The scholar said research indicates that 50 per cent of mental health disorders begin during adolescence. The findings further indicate that by the age of 24 years, 75 per cent of all mental disorders have manifested themselves, according to a report by the Ministry of Health.

 “Among the various factors that trigger mental issues among youths include family of origin – growing up in an abusive environment and domestic violence. Being raised by a parent suffering psychological disorder or even a psychotic parent or guardian is a challenge,” Nyutu observed.

 Other causes that contribute to depression, she noted, include competitive academic performance and prolonged poor academic achievement, poverty, broken and shrinking social fabric (such as living in gated communities and apartments), relationship challenges, and the culture of silence instead of self-expression when in need or ill.