Speaker
Description
Author: Lyndah Jakandang'o (Postgraduate Student, Liverpool John Moores University, UK Community-Based Organization: Solidarity for Children with Disabilities Initiative (SCDI), Kenya)
Background: Adolescents in rural Kenya, like in Rarieda Sub-County, are faced with mounting mental health concerns linked to poverty, academic stress, and limited access to psychological services. Although awareness is growing, structured mental health prevention initiatives targeting this group remain limited. The aim of this pilot project was to develop and roll out a community-based mental health promotion program for adolescents via the use of local resources and participatory approaches.
Methods: A six-month intervention was created in collaboration with local youth leaders, schools, and health workers. The programme combined mental health awareness sessions, peer support groups facilitated by trained peers, and family forums. Community health volunteers were trained to facilitate discussions on emotional wellbeing and also to identify early signs of adolescent distress. Feedback was elicited through informal interviews with facilitators, parents, and students, and pre/post-session self-ratings on help-seeking behavior and stress management.
Results: Over 120 adolescents participated in the programme. Early outcomes included increased openness among young people to talk about emotional issues, improved peer support systems, and referral of 15 adolescents to local health clinics. Parents and teachers reported feeling a shift in community openness to talk about mental health. Volunteers felt empowered to help young people and confront stigma in their communities.
Discussion: This pilot demonstrates the feasibility of integrating mental health promotion into existing community structures in disadvantaged communities. By utilizing local actors and culturally relevant approaches, the project assisted in developing an enabling environment for adolescent mental health. These results highlight the importance of intersectoral collaboration and offer a model of early prevention that can be replicated in rural communities.
| Conflict of interest | The author declares no conflict of interest |
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