Stakeholders in the education sector have called for creation of awareness and adoption of deliberate measures to address mental health issues among students in tertiary and higher learning institutions.
They aver that mental illnesses and especially among the youth is a ticking time bomb that requires serious attention and a multi-sectoral approach to deal with.
Led by Lydia Macharia, the Manager of People and Talent Development, PFK Kenya, the stakeholders said that there are concerns over a sharp rise in mental disorders, suicide cases and violence in learning institutions in the country noting that majority of them result from mental illnesses.
Macharia said that mental illnesses is a pandemic that has robbed the country of bright youth adding that it is a matter that should be handled with urgency through collaboration between the government and stakeholders in the private sector.
She spoke at the sidelines of the Career Fair at Zetech University’s Thika Road campus in Ruiru, Kiambu county.
“There’s dire need to create awareness and invest in counseling and mentorship so as to tackle and slay this dragon [mental illnesses] that’s wrecking havoc in our institutions of learning,” she said. “We are also encouraging our students to seek help from counselors as well as mentors by confiding in them the issues they are facing. This will help them overcome and save them from sinking into depression.”
Macharia said that it’s high time Universities and other tertiary institutions put in place measures and facilities to help address mental challenges facing students.
“About 75 percent of mental illnesses, according to research findings, manifest by the time teenagers are in colleges or universities. It’s therefore imperative to have proper facilities and resources to handle these cases and help the students navigate their school life smoothly,” she said.
The University’s Dean, School of Education, Arts and Social Sciences, Prof Owen Ngumi said that the University has put in place structures that promote good health and well-being of its students, staff and members of the community.
Prof. Ngumi said that the University has established a full-fledged student welfare department and a counseling faculty that is well structured and supported.
“We also have programmes to help, offer individualized counseling, peer counseling and referral-collaboration with mental health professionals,” he said.
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He also divulged that the University has rolled out a psycho-education education programme targeting new learners, where all first-year students receive mentorship and training to empower them with requisite knowledge that enable them sail through varsity life without sinking into mental anguish and other anti-social vices.
“This programme is meant to salvage the students from issues that may push mental disorders during their varsity life,” Prof Ngumi said.
Sophia Kihanda, a stakeholder and the General Manager of Paleo Hotels challenged parents to handle their parenting mantle with grip saying that most parents have back-tracked on their duties, contributing to their children sinking into social ills.
The Kenyan National Commission of Human Rights (KNCHR) estimates that 25% and 40% of outpatients and inpatients suffer from mental health conditions.
The most frequent diagnoses of mental illnesses made in general hospital settings are depression, substance abuse, stress and anxiety disorders.
By Kamau Njoroge
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