Description
Background: NCDs and mental disorders account for 75% disability-adjusted life years , co-occurring with conditions like depression and schizophrenia, increasing risk of premature death from NCDs by 40%-60%. In Kenya, individuals with NCDs often experience a high prevalence of mental health issues (data is limited ), exacerbated by few mental health professionals, stigma, and fragmented services. While national guidelines advocate for integration of mental health into NCD care, implementation remains challenging.
Approach: CHAK strengthened health systems to embed mental health services into existing NCD care pathways. Key strategic interventions included community-level engagement addressing stigma, equipping HCWs with skills to address physical and mental health needs of patients, integrating mental health screening for early identification, psychosocial-support groups for peer learning and lesson-sharing for cross-learning.
Results: Education on physical/mental health aspects of NCDs reached 393,102 persons. Rapid mental health screening for NCD patients showed 48% of 40 NCDs patients at Tumutumu Hospital had mental health issues; 28% of 358 NCDs patients screened for depression at Kijabe Hospital required counselling/referral to psychiatrist. HCWs knowledge improved by 41% through capacity-strengthening; support-groups reached 1,374 patients. Kikuyu Hospital integrated mental healthcare for NCD patients by training HCWs to recognize psychological distress, including psychologists in medical rounds, and providing psychotherapy and group therapy for NCDs patients and their caregivers. Mental health assessments revealed 86.7% Kikuyu Hospital staff and 84.3% CHAK staff reported stress/anxiety. Key barriers to seeking support included low awareness, stigma, heavy workload, and poor work-life balance. Supportive factors included enabling environment, autonomy, supportive leadership, and work-life balance.
Discussion: Mental health-NCD integration is feasible and beneficial. Standardised screening tools like PHQ2 and clear referral pathways should be implemented. Facilities should integrate psychologists into medical rounds and provide psychotherapy for all NCDs patients. Programmes focusing on stress/anxiety/burnout management, and work-life balance are needed to enhance HCWs' resilience.
| Country | Kenya |
|---|---|
| Organization | Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) |
| Position | Program Officer |
| Received a Grant? | No |
