As the world marks Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month every June, the issue of men’s mental health has become a serious public health concern in Kenya and failure to address it could have detrimental effects on families, communities and overall country’s economy, professionals warn.

When men are mentally healthy, they are better off to engage in productive economic activities that increase household incomes and provide for their families, thereby contributing to the well-being of the entire community.

According to health experts, masculinity is one of the biggest barriers, when it comes to men talking about mental health.

“Many boys are taught from an early age to suppress their emotions regardless of what they are going through,” Anthony Ngaira, a Public Health Officer, says.

“If a man’s mind is broken, his entire household crumbles. His family suffers, his children suffer and his community loses a productive member,” he explains.

Ngaira, who is also the General Secretary of the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU), says the presence of men roaming and shouting along the streets in towns was a clear indication of a critical gap that requires urgent attention.

The public health official explains, “Men do not like to verbalise their problems. They tend to keep them to themselves but a problem shared is a problem half solved. These bottled-up emotions eventually become stress and can lead to depression.”

Ngaira is now urging society to change its attitude towards raising boys, saying that discouraging them from expressing their emotions create conditions that can contribute to psychological challenges in adulthood.

Clinician Tatuli Simwa said the county has made a conscious effort to build mental health capacity at the grassroots level, noting that all health facilities have trained healthcare workers, who can detect early warning signs of mental illness.

However, Simwa expressed concern that the majority of men who need assistance do not seek medical help, citing the alarmingly low level of health-seeking behaviour among the male fraternity.

“Most men experience pain, stress and depression for months or even years without seeking help,” Simwa said.

The duo, interviewed in Kakamega town on common mental health challenges, cited alcohol and substance abuse as the major contributing factors, especially among the unemployed youth.

Simwa said he had witnessed a generation of young men who had completed school but were unable to find employment, adding that the resulting frustration and idleness often leads to substance abuse and the subsequent mental illness.

Ngaira on his part warned that many men avoid hospitals and instead seek treatment from unqualified practitioners, or purchase medication from chemists without proper diagnosis, delaying appropriate treatment.

Simwa urged families to become more involved, adding that many incidents of extreme violence witnessed in communities stem from untreated mental health challenges. The duo also emphasised the importance of physical, mental, and social well-being and called on the government to increase funding for mental health services across the country.

The Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month helps them recognise the ways mental illness impacts on their lives, educates people about the available services and highlights ways to advocate, even if they do not have mental health.

According to health experts, recognition and education are some of the ways that can be used to remove the stigma associated with mental illnesses. The ministry of health estimates that 25 per cent of the population in Kenya struggles with some form of mental illness, with depression and anxiety being the most prevalent.

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By Erick Mutua and Annlinda Simiyu