Ten Counties Most Affected by Mental Illness in Kenya

Are you sure you are not mentally ill? The stigma that surrounds the illness makes it difficult for most people to accept they are not well until it is too late.

Mental illness not only makes you a danger towards yourself but also to others as it progresses in often cases.

Kenya has been known to be one of the most depressed countries in the continent and a study has been carried out to establish which are the most affected Counties in Kenya when it comes to mental illness.

Depression is a mental illness but not vice versa as it encompasses a number of other conditions and diseases that affect one’s mental functionality.

Counties Leading in Mental Illness

Kenya’s capital, Nairobi is leading with a reported 20,353 cases of hospital visits as a result of mental disorders with 18,846 of the cases being individuals aged five years and above, the highest number among the 47 counties.

The survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and released in December reveals that 104,615 cases of mental illnesses were handled in hospitals across the country.

Of the 104,615 mental illness cases handled in Kenya in 2018, 16,103 were children aged five years.

Having the highest number of mental illness in Nairobi is easily explained by the location of Kenya’s mental health facility main referral, Mathari Hospital.

Mombasa is following Nairobi closely though sadly children below five years in the County are more than adults when it comes to suffering mental illnesses.

          County                                 Number of Cases Reported

1. Nairobi 20,353
2. Murang’a 4,881
3. Kiambu                         4,793
4. Mombasa 4,620
5. Tharaka Nithi 3,957
6. Uasin Gishu 3,817
7. Meru 3,394
8. Nakuru         3,380
9. Makueni 2,919
10. Nyandarua 2,742

Statistics reveal that there were 3,417 cases of mental disorders among children below five reported across mental facilities in Mombasa County closely followed by Nairobi County.

Kajiado reported 1,155, Kiambu 811 while Marsabit and Isiolo had the least number of cases of mental illness reports below five years at 15 and 16 cases respectively.

Mental Illness Among Children

Mental disorders amongst children are not easy to detect and can be symptomized by nightmares, sulky moods and hyperactive behaviors.

Children suffer among other of the following mental disorders:

• Behavior disorders
• Autism
• Anxiety disorder
• Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD)

Read Also: 5 Common Depression Triggers amongst Kenyans