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Changing patterns of mental health knowledge in rural Kenya after intervention using the WHO mhGAP-Intervention Guide

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 October 2018

V. N. Mutiso ,
K. M. Pike ,
C. N. Musyimi ,
T. J. Rebello ,
A. Tele ,
I. Gitonga ,
G. Thornicroft  and
D. M. Ndetei
V. N. Mutiso
Affiliation:
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
K. M. Pike
Affiliation:
Columbia University, Global Mental Health Program, New York, USA
C. N. Musyimi
Affiliation:
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
T. J. Rebello
Affiliation:
Columbia University, Global Mental Health Program, New York, USA
A. Tele
Affiliation:
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
I. Gitonga
Affiliation:
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya
G. Thornicroft
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
D. M. Ndetei*
Affiliation:
Africa Mental Health Research and Training Foundation, Nairobi, Kenya Department of Psychiatry, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
*
Author for correspondence: D. M. Ndetei, E-mail: dmndetei@amhf.or.ke
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Abstract

Background

Despite the high prevalence of mental disorders, mental health literacy has been comparatively neglected. People's symptom-management strategies will be influenced by their mental health literacy. This study sought to determine the feasibility of using the World Health Organization mhGAP-Intervention Guide (IG) as an educational tool for one-on-one contact in a clinical setting to increase literacy on the specified mental disorders.

Methods

This study was conducted in 20 health facilities in Makueni County, southeast Kenya which has one of the poorest economies in Kenya. It has no psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. We recruited 3267 participants from a community that had already been exposed to community mental health services. We used Mental Health Knowledge Schedule to measure the changing patterns of mental health knowledge after a period of 3 months, following a training intervention using the WHO mhGAP-IG.

Results

Overall, there was a significant increase in mental health related knowledge [mean range 22.4–23.5 for both post-test and pre-test scores (p < 0.001)]. This increase varied with various socio-demographic characteristics such as sex, marital status, level of education, employment status and wealth index.

Conclusions

mhGAP-IG is a feasible tool to increase mental health literacy in low-resource settings where there are no mental health specialists. Our study lends evidence that the WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013–2020 and reduction of the treatment gap may be accelerated by the use of mhGAP-IG through improving knowledge about mental illness and potentially subsequent help seeking for early diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords

Kenyamental health knowledgerural settingsWHO mhGAP-Intervention Guide
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 49 , Issue 13 , October 2019 , pp. 2227 - 2236
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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