The African Mental Health Curriculum for schools proposed by the AMPATH-AYAM programme will be launched soon, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital psychiatrist Dr. Edith Kamaru Kwobah has said.
The mental health programme is meant to expand access to and quality care for adolescents against mental illness and substance abuse among students and will provide training to teachers and parents, who are close to the teenagers.
“After sensitization, we will be able to train our teachers on the African Mental Health Curriculum for schools so that they can be able to understand and handle mental illness rather than stress and distress in schools,” she said.
According to Dr. Kwobah, 50% of mental health problems are established by age 14 and noted that, regarding drug abuse in schools, prevention is better than cure hence the much needed sensitization among teachers.
“Last year we received news of students having alcohol in schools and they were sent to us for assessment, but through this initiative the teachers will be able to initiate care to the students as their psychiatrist,” she said.
Uasin Gishu County Director of Education Hassan Khalifa said that they would review the curriculum to ascertain its effectiveness and efficiency.
“We are going to look into the photos and videos used in our teachings with the support of the psychiatrist to ascertain their helpfulness. This will help to reduce cases of school dropouts and deaths among students,” he said.
Khalifa urged parents to collaborate with the teachers in order to identify signs of depression and mental illness in their children early enough.
“Mental health is treatable and if we are able to know the state of our children early enough, we will save them,” he said.
The Director added that by providing mental health programmes in schools, it would help curb issues that lead to disruption and unrest in schools.
By Wasike Elvis
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