Kenyans will be heading to the polls on the 9th of August this year for the hotly contested parliamentary and presidential elections. The incumbent, Uhuru Kenyatta, is stepping down and has fully supported his former bitter rival in the main opposition, Raila Odinga. And the president's estranged deputy, William Ruto, is slugging it out with Mr. Kenyatta's favorite choice.

Because of Kenya's previous violent and bloody elections, "there are growing fears that, unless the current political discourse is toned down and the nature of electoral processes re-imagined, Kenya will once again descend into violence in the run-up to next [this] year’s election."

The causes of conflicts in Kenyan elections

According to Freedomhouse.org, “pervasive corruption and brutality by security forces remain serious problems.” And several factors have given rise to political tensions and conflict in Kenya. The International Alert list the following possible causes of instability in the election season:

• Exclusionary ethnic identity and victimization

• The land and resource question in Kenya

• Criminal gangs and militia groups

• Corruption and insecurity in Kenya

• COVID-19 induced vulnerabilities

• Gender inequality in Kenya’s political space

In this politically charged environment, Kenyan elections can have far-reaching effects on young people's mental health.

How politics can harm health

Many studies have enumerated the negative effects of politics on people's health. For example, the Journals.pols.org, in one study, concluded that “politics is a pervasive and largely unavoidable source of chronic stress that exacted significant health costs for large numbers of American adults between 2017 and 2020.” While the research focused on the American population, the results have universal applications.

Psychology experts describe anxiety due to elections as an election stress disorder (ESD). The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) doesn't include ESD, but it's still a health problem that voters experience during an election. And in 2016, the American Psychology Association discovered that 57 percent of respondents in its survey went through stressful situations because of elections.

As the Kenyan elections are drawing close, there are heightened tensions, leading to chronic stress. That's because “politics is a chronic stressor, saturating popular culture and permeating daily life through social media, various entertainment platforms, and a 24-hour news cycle,” says Journals.plos.org.

In addition, young Kenyans can expect to experience negative emotions, a decrease in physical and psychological wellness, and harassment from political opponents.

One study indicates that "a fifth of Americans reports being targets of online harassment as a result of expressing political views, more than two-thirds report recent elections as a significant source of stress in their lives, supporters of losing candidates engage in more stress-related behaviors such as increased alcohol consumption, and greater exposure to political campaign ads also increases the odds of being diagnosed by a health care professional with a psychological health condition such as anxiety or depression." People in Kenya could also suffer from the same health challenges in the forthcoming elections.

By nature, politics sows seeds of division as contestants take sides and engage in mudslinging. Ultimately, this increases stress levels. However, the youth in Kenya can be proactive in handling ESD, and several psychologists have suggested practical ways of doing so.

How to deal with ESD

Participate in elections - but set limits.

Active participation in local, community, and national political issues is the right thing to do. It ensures that you influence decision-making and the election of leaders who influence development in your area. To avoid being bombarded by countless views on varied topics, concentrate on topical issues you support.

For example, focus on green energy conversations if they're in your interests during an election. You can't follow every discussion because it can lead to anxiety and chronic stress.

Try valued-based living

Psychologists say that value-based living involves identifying and participating in a community project in line with your goals. Or you can reach out to your local leader to find out what you can do to improve your community.

Instead of pursuing every political debate and doing nothing about it, embrace value-based living. It gives you a sense of fulfillment and minimizes ESD.

Take a social media break.

One of the challenging things is ditching your smartphone when the election fever is high. You want to stay up to date with all the current political affairs in the country. While it may look like a good thing, it can cause ESD. But you can avoid this by taking a break from social media to do other things, like gardening, cooking, reading a book, etc.

Reduce your news consumption

Health specialists recommend limiting your news consumption to manage stress during elections. And they suggest you “carve out opportunities to disconnect from the media, particularly if you find yourself becoming distraught, anxious or emotionally reactive."

Set the alarm for the new

Another way of controlling the news you listen to or watch is to create notifications for what is important to you. You can also block other news outlets to reduce your exposure. In this way, you can remain sane and maintain your peace of mind in the coming elections.

 Ask yourself these two questions.

As you pour through news articles, ask yourself these two questions: Is the news relevant? Is the source credible? Guides like this can help you determine whether the source should be trusted. If your response is no, you can ignore those issues.

Consider what you can change.

It's also critical to appreciate that you cannot change everything in politics - some things are beyond your control. Because of this, it's better to spend your effort on matters that you can influence to reduce your frustrations.

Celebrate positive things

Sometimes we get bogged down by negative stories or news during the election period and this damps our spirits. However, the Kenyan youth can maintain a positive outlook by deliberately following good events, such as people making a difference in their communities.

You can find individuals with impactful activities like social justice change agents to support. It helps keep your spirits high and stay in good health when the political temperature is boiling.

Politics can have adverse effects on your mental health as you may get frustrated with elections. Different views, political speeches, slogans, political rivals, supporters, social media, underlying economic challenges, etc., can negatively influence your physical and psychological wellbeing. But the young people in Kenya can proactively take measures to manage election stress disorder.

 We would like to acknowledge most notably Dr. Abhishek Allam, Psychiatrist, and the connected mind team, for their mental health expertise for contributing immensely to bringing out the issues surrounding youth and elections as highlighted in this article, and The Youth Cafe editorial team for their reviews and comments.

Sources

saferworld.org.uk - Why Peace Remains Elusive As Kenya Prepares for the 2022 General Elections

freedomhouse.org - Freedom-world/2022

International Alert.org - The Path Towards August 2022 Elections in Kenya

sunshinebehavioralhealth.com - Home Page

Journals.pols.org - Politics Is Making Us Sick: The Negative Impact of Political Engagement on Public Health During the Trump Administration

nbcnews.com - ‘Election Stress Disorder’: How To Cope With the Anxiety As Political Tensions Intensify’

Utep.edu - 4 ways to differentiate a good source from a bad source

The Youth Café works with young men and women around Africa as a trailblazer in advancing youth-led approaches toward achieving sustainable development, social equity, innovative solutions, community resilience, and transformative change.