Kenya: Clinical Guidelines on Management of Mental Disorders Launched

Despite the high burden of mental disorders in the country, there are low rates of mental health literacy among primary healthcare workers, and routine diagnosis of psychiatric morbidity remains poor, resulting in most mental disorders going undiagnosed.

On Tuesday, Kenya published the first clinical guidelines for managing mental disorders that have spiked in the country.

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Patrick Amoth, director general of health in the Ministry of Health, said the guidelines aim to improve the identification and treatment of mental disorders within primary healthcare settings.

“These guidelines have been designed for use by various categories of healthcare workers without specialized psychiatric training,” Amoth said during the launch in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

He noted that nearly half of the population lives with at least one mental disorder in their lifetime, with the highest rates for depression and anxiety.

Despite the high burden of mental disorders in the country, there are low rates of mental health literacy among primary healthcare workers, and routine diagnosis of psychiatric morbidity remains poor, resulting in most mental disorders going undiagnosed, according to Amoth.

He revealed that the treatment gap for mental disorders is about 75 percent, while the new guidelines are expected to strengthen primary healthcare systems in the country. The clinical guidelines will be disseminated to build the capacity of primary healthcare workers to improve access to early detection, treatment, and support services for citizens experiencing mental health challenges.

As the country commemorates World Suicide Prevention Day 2024, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has called for immediate reforms to address mental health issues and decriminalize attempted suicide. Kenya has recorded 1,576 suicide deaths over the past four years, according to data from the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and the National Police Service.

According to the World Health Organization, mental disorders have remained among the top 10 causes of disease burden worldwide, with no evidence of reduction since 1990.