COVID 19 and Mental Health Experience in Kenya: Reflections for Change (Preprint)

BACKGROUND Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a number of vulnerable groups in Kenya and other developing ‎countries are facing a double tragedy. The direct threat from SARS-CoV-2 and indirect ‎consequences of government responses are creating new challenges, as well as worsening ‎existing socio-economic public health aspects. One of the vulnerable groups are people with ‎existing and newly acquired mental health problems. This policy brief seeks to examine the ‎relationship between COVID-19 and mental health in Kenya. It finds that COVID-19 has an ‎overreaching impact on a person’s mental health and if the government does not offer urgent and ‎well thought out measures to cushion these patients from the negative experiences of the ‎pandemic, then the country could find itself with a bigger burden during and after COVID-19 ‎crisis. ‎ OBJECTIVE This policy brief seeks to examine the relationship between COVID-19 and mental health in ‎Kenya. It finds that COVID-19 has an overreaching impact on a person’s mental health and if the ‎government does not offer urgent and well thought out measures to cushion these patients from ‎the negative experiences of the pandemic, then the country could find itself with a bigger burden ‎during and after COVID-19 crisis. ‎ METHODS A secondary descriptive method has been applied for this policy brief RESULTS The paper seeks to raise concern on the low attention mental health has received during the ‎pandemic. ‎Collaborating with regional and international actors to improve research in mental health as ‎well as sensitization programs to dilute the stigma currently existing can also go a long way.‎ CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the paper seeks to raise concern on the low attention mental health has received ‎during the pandemic. The government of Kenya has developed measures to try and contain the ‎spread of the virus in the country, but its strategies have failed to address some of the worst-hit groups such as individuals with mental health disorders. We recommend that the government ‎urgently embarks on a nationwide exercise of documenting mental health cases so as to make ‎an informed policy decision. During this pandemic, mental health patients especially those who ‎live in the streets need to be accorded shelter to protect them from the disease while ‎medication for mental health ought to be subsidized. In the long run, the government can ensure ‎that mental health is integrated with the national health insurance programs, facilities and ‎hospitals for mental health to be upgraded and made more conducive. Collaborating with regional ‎and international actors to improve research in mental health as well as sensitization programs ‎to dilute the stigma currently existing can also go a long way.‎