Women and Young Girls in Kwale County Struggle with Rising Mental Health Challenges
In Kwale County, the mental health landscape is increasingly concerning, with a notable impact on women and young girls. In a revelation on mental health, Health executive Francis Gwama observed that there has been an increasing number of people who have mental illness, and most of the cases are likely to affect persons within the age group of 15-29 years, according to statistics, this is 79%.
Several challenges affect the mental health of women and young girls in this region, including stress and trauma, unemployment, substance abuse, and stigmatization in Kwale County, Kenya. As much as Gwama has expounded the specific areas that require focus in order to deal with entrenched biases of society as causes of stigma, it is also essential to focus on other fears that society has in as much as it denies or marginalizes those with a disability, for example, the fears over being left with a relative with a disability through marriage partners mainly affecting women and young girls.
Nevertheless, the Kwale County government is making the right decisions to assist young girls and women facing mental health challenges. These aspects of Health care have improved over the years, with the embracement of the provision of mental health services to crucial healthcare care facilities, including Msambweni County Referral Hospital and Tiwi sub-county Health Facility, among others, with specific attention to needy female ladies and girls.
Other public hospitals are also set to be given an outreach covering mental health with a zero-tolerance approach to eradicating mental illnesses in the next two years. They are especially committed to getting the girls and women in the county the treatment they need to receive at the right time and get the medicine, as well as the therapy to support them in their mental health process.
The administrator added that the health care services in the administration will be stepping up to provide better mental health conditions for women and young girls in Kwale County. The search for the most qualitative medicine to attend to people in need and the employment of qualified personnel who are remunerated well for their services are other noteworthy areas of focus. Efforts towards the enhancement of rehabilitation services for persons who intend to quit taking drugs will also go a long way in assisting women and young girls with mental health issues.
As the mental health crisis deepens in magnitude in this region –Kwale County, the voices of women and young girls must be considered and perhaps given total priority over every other gender in the mental health initiatives. In this way, the community can reduce shame and stigma, help women and young girls who need necessary support and treatment, and create favorable conditions that can help them cope with their mental health issues and become stronger.
