According to a new report, wealthy, post-secondary-educated women aged 40 to 44 living in urban areas are the most depressed group in Kenya.
This is according to the Kenya Demographic Health Survey 2022, which assessed mental health by recording those who had been told by a health worker that they had depression or anxiety.
Women aged 35 to 39 come in second, with those aged 15 to 19 being the least depressed.
Women with post-secondary education are the most depressed, followed by those with no education at all, and those with primary and secondary education are in the middle.
Women in the highest quintile of wealth are the most depressed, followed by those in the middle, and those in the fourth highest level are the least depressed.
The survey results revealed that women were more depressed than men, but those aged 40 to 44 were the most depressed for both genders.
According to Dr Joyce Wamicwe, the Ministry of Health’s policy and research director, more Kenyans are being diagnosed with depression, but only a quarter of them are receiving treatment.
“If you look at the number of people who are diagnosed with depression compared to those who are being treated, you find that so many Kenyans are going without treatment,” said Dr Wamicwe.
There was a small difference in depression levels based on where the respondents lived, with urban women slightly higher than rural women by 0.5 percentage points.
“It does not give us a clear indication of who is more stressed than the other because there is a small margin,” said Dr Wamicwe.
Among men, those aged 40 to 44 were the most depressed. At 4.9 percent, they had a lower percentage than the 6.9 percent of women in the same category.
Overall, women aged 15-49 have a depression rate of 4%, while men in the same age group have a depression rate of 3.1%.
In terms of county classification, women in Narok County were more depressed, accounting for 17% of the total. That means that two out of every ten Narok women were depressed.
Meru County had a depression rate of 10%, Uasin Gishu had a rate of 7.8 percent, and Garissa had a rate of 7.1 percent.
Women in Lamu and Murang’a were equally depressed, with 5.9%.
Nyeri had 5.6 percent, Bungoma had 5.5 percent, and Kisii and Busia counties had 5.2 percent and 5.1 percent of women who were depressed, respectively.
Samburu and Makueni are among the top five counties with the fewest depressed women, with only 0.4% of their women reporting depression.
Mandera has 0.6% of its women reporting being depressed, Tana River has 0.7%, and Elgeyo Marakwet has 0.9% of its women reporting being depressed.
Bomet County tops the list for men, with 21% of men reporting being depressed. It is followed by Laikipia (9.2%), Isiolo (9%), Uasin Gishu (6.9%), Narok (6.6%), and Kakamega (5.6%).
According to Dr. Wamicwe, the survey did not inquire as to why they were stressed. It only looked at those who had been diagnosed and those who were receiving treatment.
“We need a comprehensive study to find out the cause of depression in our population,” she said.
During the study period, no men in Garissa or Kisii counties reported being diagnosed with depression.
Kitui and Nandi each reported 0.1 percent male depression, while Baringo and West Pokot reported 0.2 percent. Taita Taveta found 0.3% of men to be depressed.
According to Dr. Catherine Syengo Mutisya, the Ministry of Health’s head of substance abuse and management, there is no clear record of the exact number of people affected because most depressed people in Kenya tend to hide.
Depression varies with age, peaking in older adulthood, but it can be found in children and adolescents as young as 15 years old.
“We are seeing a new trend among the youth, probably because of their inability to adjust to everyday stress, especially among school children who commit suicide mostly because of failing exams, as well as young unemployed adults and those in relationship crises,” said Dr Syengo.
Depression is the most common illness worldwide.
The main causes of depression are poverty and unemployment.
Other factors include physical illness, life events such as the death of a loved one, and substance abuse.
According to the Kenya Mental Health Policy (2015-2030), mental disorders in Kenya are on the rise.
According to government statistics, at least one in every four Kenyans suffers from mental illness at some point in their lives.
The World Health Organisation ranked Kenya sixth in Africa in terms of the number of depressed people last year.
According to the report, depression affects more women than men, and the prevalence varies by region.
