Tomorrow the tenth day of October, the whole world
commemorates the World Mental Health day.
This is a day when those who appreciate the importance of good mental
health take time to create mental health awareness and promote mental
health. Kenya will join the World to commemorate
the day led by the ministry of health at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Good mental health is not the absence of mental illness
but rather it is defined as “a state of well-being whereby individuals
recognize and realize their abilities, are able to cope with the normal
stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and make a contribution to
their communities”3 (WHO: 2003).
Absence of good mental health or deterioration of one’s mental health therefore
leads to mental health problems or mental illnesses.
The theme for this year is “Dignity in mental
health: – psychological and mental health first aid for all!” We are all aware about physical health First
Aid but most of us are not aware of Psychological or mental health First Aid
and what to do when faced with somebody whose behavior has changed, or their
thinking is not what is expected or their mood is low or high.
Mental Health First Aid is a training program that
teaches members of the public how to help a person developing a mental health
problem (including a substance use problem), experiencing a worsening of an
existing mental health problem or in a mental health crisis. Like traditional
First Aid, Mental Health First Aid does not teach people to treat or diagnose mental
health or substance use conditions. Instead, the training teaches people how to
offer initial support until appropriate professional help is received or until
the crisis resolves.
Mental health First Aid entails being able to
approach and access the distressed person, listen without being judgmental,
give support and information, encourage appropriate professional help and
encourage other supports.
Psychological First Aid on the other hand is an
approach for assisting people in the immediate aftermath of disaster and
terrorism to reduce initial distress and to foster short and long-term adaptive
functioning. It involves contacting the
survivors and engaging them, providing safety and comfort for them, stabilizing
them as you gather the necessary information. Practical assistance which
includes linking them with other services and helping survivors connect with
social supports in addition to providing them with coping information goes a
long way in assisting those involved in disasters
Everybody should learn how to provide basic
psychological and mental health first aid so that they can provide support to
distressed individuals in the same way as they do in physical health crises
The
Kenya Mental Health Policy whose goal is “To attain the highest standards of
mental health in Kenya” was launched in May
this year and the National and the County governments are implementing it. This
policy gives directions on Mental Health Leadership and Governance, the needed
human resources, financing of Mental Health promotion services, Substance Use
Management, Mental health services, Mental
Health Products and Technologies including essential medicines, Mental Health
Information System (MHIS) and Research, Mental health Infrastructure, Advocacy
and Partnership, Mental Health and Vulnerable Groups and finally Mental Health
and the socio-cultural perspective.
If we all take up our roles and responsibilities as
stipulated in the policy, then the objectives of this policy which include
strengthening effective leadership and
governance for mental health, ensuring access to comprehensive, integrated and
high quality, promotive, preventive, curative and rehabilitative mental health
care services at all levels of healthcare, implementing strategies for
promotion of mental health, prevention of mental disorders and substance use
disorders and strengthening mental
health systems then we will all attain
the highest standards of mental health in Kenya
We should all remember that there is no health
without Mental Health and so no one can claim to be healthy if they have no
good mental health!
Dr. Catherine Syengo Mutisya is a Consultant
Psychiatrist and the Head of Substance Abuse Management & Mental Health
Promotion at the Ministry of Health - Kenya
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