Gideon Mbithi|Amina Abubakar
Assessing and Supporting Mental Health Outcomes Among Adolescents in Urban Informal Settlements in Kenya and Uganda
Aga Khan University Nairobi|Aga Khan University Nairobi
introduction mental health problems among adolescents rise particularly among adolescents subsaharan africa ssa due impoverished living conditions high burden chronic diseases including hivaids covid19 pandemic exacerbated risk placed additional stress adolescents mental health burden might high fewer mental health services region objectives evaluate psychological mental wellbeing adolescents living co codesign civil society organizations csos interventions aimed enhancing mental health psychosocial wellbeing methods firstly conducted formative phase assess burden various mental health problems kenya conducted crosssectional survey assessed mental health status 1541 adolescents using standardized tools participants comprised school adolescents adolescents disability living hivaids furthermore undertook qualitative study fgds kiis identify factors contributing mental health problems secondly aim adapt interventions seek promote mental health finally aim implement effective mental health interventions targeting 2000 adolescents living kenya informal settlements results found prevalence depression higher among outofschool adolescents 360 compared schoolgoing adolescents 206 furthermore outofschool adolescents statistically significantly higher anxiety scores well 277 compared schoolgoing counterparts 191 inschool adolescents better quality life scores lower pandemic anxiety scores lower emotional scores compared outofschool counterparts results regression models indicated school covid19 infection poor relationships parents peers loneliness living unsafe neighborhood factors associated poor mental health outcomes qualitative interviews participants noted covid 19 brought financial stress joblessness led early pregnancies involvement commercial sex work adolescents school dropouts lead stress depression among issues image 3 conclusions adolescents especially school high risk poor mental health outcomes due exposure host psychosocial risk factors identified two interventions keen implement shamiri wellness intervention httpswwwshamiriinstitutetheshamiriintervention mental health literacy programme httpmentalhealthliteracyorg hope working csos study support development capacity offer mental health services sustainable contextually appropriate disclosure interest none declared