COVID Recovery: Scoping an Intervention in Youth Mental Health Support in Kenya

Young people have been affected by the secondary impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, with serious consequences for mental health and well-being. The youths in low-income countries are especially vulnerable to economic hardship and disrupted education, and least likely to receive adequate psychosocial care.

The Youth Cafe in collaboration with the University of Sussex (UK) through Sussex Writes, have won the 2021 Global Challenges Fund for a project that is working to formulate a contextually-appropriate psychosocial intervention model, aiming to improve youth mental health, promote social inclusion and strengthen post-pandemic resilience in Kenya. With mental health disorders left untreated, these conditions have serious detrimental effects on young people’s developmental progress, family life and educational achievement, with long-term risks for poor health, social marginalisation and unemployment in adulthood. COVID-19 has increased threats to mental ill health and worsened pre-existing global inequalities in access to adequate care. Addressing these challenges is essential to achieving post-COVID recovery, given the close links between youth mental health, social disability and economic development.

In a recent public engagement event, “Lockdown Live”, hosted by the University of Sussex and The Youth Café, the importance of mental health to young people’s experiences in the pandemic and recovery from its aftermath was highlighted. Four weekly online meetings in July 2020 (garnering a total of 105,000 views) brought together 54 youth participants from Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Rwanda, the UK and Kenya to discuss pressing issues affecting youth in global and local contexts during the pandemic. Of the four weekly topics (learning in lockdown, COVID-related mis/disinformation, post-COVID futures and youth mental health), the mental health content generated the highest level of engagement. As well as a 45% increase in online participation, the mental health session revealed shared concern among discussants about the relevance of conventional “expert-led” approaches, alongside strong interest in pursuing contextually- sensitive solutions that draw from the perspectives of young people and their communities.

This 6 month project (February, 2021- August, 2021) will build directly on this successful youth-engagement platform, led by the established partnership between The Youth Cafe and University of Sussex. Furthermore, through this project a blueprint for online mental health support for young people in Official Development Assistance (ODA) nations, developed in partnership with a leading youth-centred NGO and co-created with youth participants, to prepare for future delivery of a pilot study will be produced. Lockdown Live produced clear indicators about the potential for novel intervention methods to address youth mental health in low-resourced contexts, drawing on life writing, social media and peer support, compatible with increasing uptake of digital technologies.

Through this program, we aim to create lasting impacts among the youths. These impacts include: Social Impact by influencing policy and practices in a way that promotes social recovery and improves life chances for disadvantaged young people with mental health needs; Cultural Impact by using online platform for talking about and addressing mental health in public fora that will generate and disseminate positive media outputs that promote mental health destigmatisation, social inclusion, social recovery; Through seeking methods of delivering psychosocial interventions, we hope to improve resilience and well-being in young people as they navigate the job market; further outcomes of the project include raising interest in the youth and student populations in mental health pathways in further/higher education, including mental health routes in nursing and medicine, with a long-term aim of addressing the shortfall in mental health provision and encouraging a sustainable economic recovery and all who participate in the project will receive training and experience in co-creation, enhancing employability; paid internships in Kenya will create valuable youth training and experience thereby creating an Economic Impact. 

To be able to achieve the deliverables of this project, we have a very strong team to work with. As Co-PI, Emma Newport (MAH) is the Director of Sussex Writes, which uses creative methodologies to strengthen community engagement, raise attainment, and work co-creatively with marginalised and disadvantaged groups, including helping young people develop psychosocial and interpersonal and employability skills, for which she received the Sussex Better World Award (2020). Co-PI Willice Onyango will have an active role in public dissemination and advocacy due vast networks within the international community through a widely recognized trailblazing work on youth development in locally and regionally. Clio Berry’s (BSMS) work on development, evaluation and implementation of non-specialist and non-clinical interventions will be relevant in this project. Daniel Michelson (Psychology), will advise on the development of a contextually-relevant and empirically-supported intervention blueprint for addressing youth mental health in partnership with The Youth Café. Maya Unnithan (Global) will provide input on cultural and gender-sensitive tools for talking about health online and will facilitate analytic engagement, discussion and dissemination through CORTH and its networks. Aikaterini (Kat) Rammou will assist in the research of this program and lead the desk review of this project. Synthia Ontita will work as the Program’s Coordinator, coordinating the program, reporting on the program’s progress and managing the project team members’ activities. 

In achieving the deliverables of this project, we are working with a team of 5 interns, Antony Karanja, Chantal Esperance, Kevin Kimtai, Brenda Mghendi and Ivy Moraa who will provide support to the project team. These interns are very much excited to be part of the project and when asked what they are excited the most about this project, here are some of their responses. Antony says, “I am very excited about this project because I got the privilege of being in the founding phase of the Lockdown Live series and having gone through that entire experience and all the things that I learnt, I am looking forward to handling this project and discussing an issue that has been in the closet for a while in the sense that not so many people are keen about mental health but it is a ticking time bomb for our young people.” Chantal says, “In my perspective, what mental health needs is more sunlight, more candor and more unashamed conversations. With the forthcoming project, I hope to inculcate the mantra that it is okay not to be okay. This is because peace of mind is a mind of peace.” Kevin says, “ I am excited about working with the team and I hope I’ll be able to share the knowledge and skills that I have and may be able to be mentored by the experts to be a mental health champion and leader.” Brenda says, “I am excited about this mental health project as it is going to bring to light many things about mental health that have been left under including and not limited to the effects of COVID-19 on mental health especially among the youth.” Ivy says, “I am excited to be part of this program because I will be in a better position to help the youths who are in similar situations after gaining knowledge on mental health.”   

We are currently in the desk review stage of the project to ensure that we have enough resources to use for our project and also come up with youth-friendly questionnaires and surveys to be used by our participants. Incase of any questions in regards to the project or if interested in being part of the program, feel free to reach out to Synthia Ontita (synthia.ontita@theyouthcafe.com).