- In your quest to surround yourself with people, vet them to ensure they are not a group of pessimists full of negative perspective on life.
- Depression has been a major concern in the country to an extent that the government set up a Taskforce on Mental Health in December 2019.
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Depression is an illness characterised by persistent sadness and a loss of interest in activities that you normally enjoy.
It develops because of a combination of life events, personal factors and changes in the brain.
This feeling is usually accompanied by an inability to carry out daily activities for prolonged period of time beyond two weeks.
People of all ages are at risk of falling into depression but young people have mostly been found more vulnerable to suicidal tendencies and self-harming behaviour.
David Ochieng, a registered clinical officer says the first step to dealing with depression starts with identifying that you have a problem and seek to find your way out of it.
He says one should then reach out to a confidant and share whatever they are going through in confidentiality to get issues off the chest.
"The third thing you need to do, and most people don't get this, have enough sleep. The moment you have enough sleep you will not be abale to think to much," he said.
Ochieng said sufficient sleep ensures the body has enough rest and stays rejuvenated for next day's activities.
He says one should also preoccupy themselves with regular exercises which relaxes the body and sets it up for a good night's sleep.
"You can do the aerobics at home and you can also visit the gym."
Closely related to this, Ochieng said, is preoccupation with a hobby which may range from travelling, dancing, listening to music or composing songs.
The essence of this is to ensure your mind is not at any time idle for a prolonged period of time as this paves way for overthinking and feeling of hopelessness.
Ochieng said it therefore follows that you avoid being alone as loneliness may trigger suicidal thoughts.
However, he warned, in your quest to surround yourself with people, vet them to ensure they are not a group of pessimists full of negative perspective on life.
"Avoid negative people. You will find that negative people will never give you anything that is positive to get you off the hook. They are always thinking negative, so if you add a negative to a negative that you are going through, that can drive you down the drain," Ochieng said.
Depression has been a major concern in the country to an extent that the government set up a Taskforce on Mental Health in December 2019.
In its report in July 2020, the Taskforce recommended that mental illness should be declared a National Emergency of epidemic proportions, to prioritise mental health as a priority public health and socioeconomic agenda.
In July 2021, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations said Kenya recorded nearly 500 suicide cases in a span of three months.
According to the Ministry of Health, it is estimated that one in every 10 people suffer from a common mental disorder in Kenya.
The number increases to one in every four people among patients attending routine outpatient services.
The ministry identified depression and anxiety disorders as the leading mental illnesses diagnosed in Kenya, followed by substance use disorders.
Among the different types of substances, alcohol contributes to the largest burden of substance use related illnesses in Kenya.
Of great concern, the ministry said, alcohol abuse is most prevalent in the 18-29-year-old age group.