Health professionals in mental health sectors have asked the government to consider having a Ministry of family affairs and social protection to deal with the wellbeing and happiness of the Kenyans.
The professionals including clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, medical psychologists, and counselors said Kenya had a worrying happiness index at position 124 out of 156 countries.
Neglecting this important aspect of society has led to many people gravitating into depression causing mental illnesses that could have been prevented.
They observed that psychiatrists and psychologists training heavily relied on foreign content and curriculum that does not resonate with the Kenyan context.
They underscored the need to have local evidence-based research that will help produce mental health workers who can address the Kenyan problems.
The Rehabilitation and addicts Association of Kenya chairman Boniface Ndirangu called upon the government to consider setting aside at least 1percent of the national budget to cater to the mental health of Kenyans.
