ipl-logo

Mental Health Issues In Kenya

1226 Words5 Pages

Introduction
Mental disorders refer to a wide range of mental conditions the affect the mood, thinking and behavior of an individual. Examples of mental disorders include; depression, anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorder and addictive behavior. Many people in Kenya go through some kind of mental health concern from time to time, but this mental health concerns will deteriorate in to mental disorders when persistent signs and symptoms cause frequent stress and effect on an individual’s ability to function properly. Mental disorders account for a huge portion of disease that is largely misunderstood and ignored. Annually about 30% of global population are affected by a mental disorder of some kind and only less than a third of those …show more content…

It is argued according to the international covenant of economic, social and cultural rights that it is every human being’s right to attain highest state of mental and physical health (Earle, 2006). Meaning addressing inequities and discrimination in mental health care caused by stigma in fact one of promoting social justice and human rights within the society. It is good to let the general public understand …show more content…

Kenya has many cultures whose members have endless beliefs and practices that are related to what is internalized as appropriate behavior in going about one’s life, maintaining health and prevention and treatment of certain illnesses. Research has indicated that major psychiatric disorders occur in every society and the primary symptoms may be the same. Different cultures however have got different perceptions of the causes of mental illnesses most of which are usually not informed by scientific research or studies. The inadequate knowledge of the causes, symptoms and treatment of mental illnesses most of the times will point towards a common but misguided belief that mental illnesses are caused by the individuals themselves or by acts of supernatural forces, possession by evil spirits or curses following the individuals family line (Mohit 2001). Some of these beliefs such as curse on family lineage are backed up by genetic science. Most of cultural beliefs remain largely erroneous. In an economically disadvantage country such as Kenya psychiatrist in training will still hold such beliefs as mental illnesses are caused by supernatural causes even after medical training. The main problem of such beliefs is that they promote stigma, discrimination and isolation of people with mental illnesses which

Show More
Related

  • Summary Of The Spirit Catches You And You Fall Down By Anne Fadiman

    1860 Words  | 8 Pages

    With this uniqueness comes many groups of people who struggle to understand other culture’s beliefs and their knowledge on health and illness. The lack of knowledge an individual has pertaining

    Read More

  • A Brief Note On The Hmong Culture

    1568 Words  | 7 Pages

    In the book “When the Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down” the Hmong trusted the shaman and other community members to heal Lia of epilepsy before they trust western doctors Epilepsy is a common neurological treatment that involved a general doctor and psychiatrist. In the novel there was a cultural clash between that of Hmong beliefs and western medicine, so much that the Hmong (Lia’s family) believed the medicine Lia was consuming was harming her soul. If Lia's doctors had took to the time to better understand why her parents wanted to limit the medication she took, they could have supported her parents efforts to seek spiritual and medical treatment while assuring the Lee's the medicine would do no harm to Lia’s soul. This is a classic example of the lack of cultural competency in psychiatric medicine that has led to the distrust of its treatments around the globe. Physicians are often so caught up in their course of treatment they forget to consider the

    Read More

  • Abuse In Hawaii

    469 Words  | 2 Pages

    It can affect the thinking, mood and feelings of a person. Mental illness should be considered a legitimate illness, meaning sufferers should get the medical help they need to overcome their mental illness. Around 32,000 adults out of the 1.3million who call Hawaii home are living with a serious mental illness. Unfortunately, many of these adults who suffer with a mental illness won’t get the help they

    Read More

  • Essay On Mental Health Disparities

    753 Words  | 4 Pages

    Mental health is a state of psychological well-being. According to World Health Organization (WHO) mental health includes "subjective well-being, perceived self-efficacy, autonomy, competence, intergenerational dependence, and self-actualization of one's intellectual and emotional potential, among others." (Organization, WHO 2001) However, cultural differences, race, ethnicity, personal background, subjective assessment, and socioeconomic status all affect how mental health is defined. This variation in definitions of mental health between different sects of our society further causes drift in methods of treatment, and may cause the burden of mental health to be greater on some cultures.

    Read More

  • Insane Asylums In The 18th Century

    465 Words  | 2 Pages

    How patients with mental disabilities’ treatment has changed over the years is drastic, and deserves to be noted. In the past, the patients were treated very poorly. According the Szasz, it was once believed that mental illness was caused by demonic possession, witchcraft, or an angry god. For example, in medieval times, odd behaviors were a sign that the person was possessed by demons. From the 1400s to the 1600s, a common belief sustained by religious organizations was that some people made pacts with the devil and committed terrible acts, such as eating babies.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Scholinski's The Last Time I Wore A Dress

    1678 Words  | 7 Pages

    Mental illnesses have a high prevalence amongst the United States population. Each year, tens of millions of individuals suffer and are affected by mental illnesses (National Institute of Mental Health, 1). These illnesses range from anxiety disorder, eating disorders, major depression, personality disorder, and many more. Yet, with the existing knowledge, mental providers and professionals, and the DSM-5, mental illness remains a growing mystery to the public. Literature has played a significant role in how mental illnesses are defined, their characteristics, and the portrayal of those who are mentally ill to the public eye.

    Read More

  • White Oleander Rhetorical Analysis

    952 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout recent years, mental illness has become a belittled and “taboo” topic in a multitude of different societies. As a result, a majority of the world’s population isn’t exactly clear as to how one should approach those suffering from mental instability. Unlike physical illness, where an entire system of doctors and hospitals and medical research developed in order to cater to those who were physically ill, mental illnesses do not get nearly as much attention. Some would argue that a physical illness proves to be significantly more detrimental to one’s day to day life. However, observation of mentally ill individuals proves that mental illness can be as equally debilitating (you probably know someone in your life who has died from the

    Read More

  • Mental Illness In Girl, Interrupted By Susanna Kaysen

    834 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the book Girl, Interrupted, by Susanna Kaysen, one of the biggest focal points is mental illness. Mental illness can be tough to talk about, simply because the phrase “mental illness” encompasses such a wide range of conditions and conjures up images of deranged people, but it is very important, especially in this book. There is a certain stigma that people who are put into mental hospitals because they have medical problems or are insane and a possible danger to society. While this is sometimes true, it is far more common for patients to need help for a disorder, but just don’t know where to go or what to do, and can end up putting themselves or someone else in danger.

    Read More

  • Mental Illness In African America Essay

    2023 Words  | 9 Pages

    In general negative descriptions are credited to those who suffer mental illness. Cultural identity (Tata & Leong, 1994), cultural mistrust (Nickerson,Helms,&Terrell,1994),and cultural commitment (Price & McNeill, 1992) have been linked with factors such as attitudes toward seeking help, tolerance for the stigma associated with seeking help, and being open to talking about problems with a

    Read More

  • Mental Health Ethos Pathos And Logos

    871 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the editorial "The health crisis of mental health stigma," the editorial utilizes ethos pathos, and logos, to shed light on the crisis of mental health. According to the editorial mental health is not seen as a significant health issue as others are. This issue is overlooked by many peoples and doctors. The two strongest rhetorical appeals that this editorial uses and applies very well are ethical appeal and logical appeal. Also, manages to include an emotional appeal.

    Read More

  • Theme Of Mental Illness In Edgar Allan Poe

    1470 Words  | 6 Pages

    When people hear the words, “mental illness,” they think of insane asylums and psychiatric wards, but that’s not necessarily the case. Yes, back in the 1800’s they did have asylums for people with mental disorders. But that was when doctors didn’t fully understand mental illnesses and disorders. But currently, doctors are able to comprehend illnesses and disorders.

    Read More

  • Locura Research Paper

    869 Words  | 4 Pages

    In a study by Sarah Garcia-Siberman (1998:1-12), mental health issues can be seen at any age from the very young to the elderly, those with a higher level of education are less likely to develop cultural-bound syndromes. They are more likely to seek out the assistant of mental health providers (psychotherapy) and take medication (pharmacological treatment) if needed. This makes since to me, when someone is educated and are able to cope with the stresses of everyday life, the person is better equip to deal with whatever changes occur, making mental health issues less likely in this population. The older population and those that have little to no education, view these syndromes as evil, spiritual possession, or witchcraft, which can only be cured through herbal remedies, religious or shaman healers, and ritual ceremonies (Piñeros 1998:1425). If a culture is isolated and has no contact with civilization, I can see why they would not be able to seek professional help.

    Read More

  • Public Health Application Essay Sample

    730 Words  | 3 Pages

    I became very sure of my quest to become a public health professional during my National youth service Corps (NYSC) year in my home country Nigeria. I had the opportunity of working as a medical officer in the very remote village healthcare setting. During my service year with the NYSC, I discovered that minor ailments, usually from infections, and some with fatal consequences, could have been prevented and many lives saved if it were not for the fact that those effected believed that the illnesses were evil spiritual afflictions or resulted from a curse by God. I was especially struck by the sight of a young child at the Children's emmergency ward with severe heel burns resulting from the superstitious belief that febrile convulsion was caused

    Read More

  • Essay On Mental Health Issues

    1019 Words  | 5 Pages

    Why do the people of today still associate stigma, shame and blame with mental health issues? Mental health issues are extremely and widely misunderstood. Despite the fact one in four people are likely to experience some kind of mental health problem a year in the United Kingdom. “Mental health is a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being and it affects how we feel, think and act. It also helps to determine how we handle situations such as stress, how we relate to others and how we make decisions.

    Read More

  • Mental Health Stigma

    721 Words  | 3 Pages

    Stigma surrounding the patients using mental health servicesurrounding the patients using = = =mental services Panova G, Zisovska E, Joveva E, Serafimov A, Karakolevska Ilova M FACULTY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES UNIVERSITY OF GOCE DELCHEV, SHTIP, MACEDONIA Stigma is used as a synonym for designation of individuals or group with some characteristic differ from other population. This means that any disease by itself can carry stigma. But the greatest stigmatization is still associated with mental illness.

    Read More

More about Mental Health Issues In Kenya

Open Document