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NAIROBI, KENYA: The high unemployment rate among youths in Kenya has been linked to the rising incidences of suicides and mental health problems such as depression.
This emerged on Tuesday as Kenya joined the world in marking the International Youth Day in line with this year's theme of "Youth and mental Health: Post-2015 Development Agenda".
Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru said that many youths are increasingly becoming mentally disturbed as they become more disillusioned with their life's prospects and failing to get decent incomes.
In a speech read by Principal Secretary for Planning Peter Magiti, the CS said that the mental heal among Kenyan youth is of growing concern and has become a major threat to health during adolescence and early adult life.
"The majority of young Kenyans have high hopes and ambitions. High expectations, disappointing employment and life prospects and marginalisation among young people can fuel frustration and desperation," she said.
In Kenya, It is estimated as many as seven per cent of young males and ten per cent of young females having reported attempted suicide.
At least ten per cent of young males and seven per cent of young females have reported being depressed.
A significant portion suffer from substance abuse, including alcohol dependence.
According to the World Health Organisation , one million people commit suicide every year, with most of them being youth, while suicide attempts have climbed to an estimated 10 million globally.
Waiguru expressed concern that the incidences of mental illness among youths in Kenya is the highest of any other demographic according to documented data. She said that many mental disorders often go undiagnosed and untreated due to stigma associated with it.
She called efforts to tackle mental health issues among the youth.
"Mental health is a primary health issue that must be addressed comprehensively and with urgency among youth. But the Stigma associated with mental illness means that the problem is often left untreated and undiagnosed,"
Principal Secretary in the Health Ministry Prof. Fred Segor said that it is high time that more attention was devoted to mental health of the youth. He said that the Ministry is finalising on the Draft Health Policy and Draft Mental Health Bill to boost efforts to address mental health issues in the country . It is estimated that at least a quarter of people going to health facilities in the country have mental health issues of one kind or another.
ICT Cabinet Secretary Prof Fred Matiang'I said youth who engage in behaviours such as drug and substance abuse are about three times likely to have a concurrent mental health concern than those who don't.
He added that early childhood upbringing and exposure also could contribute significantly towards mental health conditions.
"Estimates indicate that one in four patients visiting a primary health clinic in Kenya suffers from mental illness. Statistics tell us an increasing number of young people in Kenya are facing depression; their health and school records confirm this. We cannot hide from this or ignore it,"he said in a speech read on behalf of Deputy President William Ruto.
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