On 22^nd September 2023, KEPSA participated in the 2^nd Nation Mental Wellness and Counseling Conference. The event organized by the Nation Media Group was graced by H.E. Pastor Dr. Dorcas Rigathi, the second lady of Kenya. The event was themed; Promoting Wellness as a Universal Human Right, in line with World Mental Health Day 2023.

H.E Dr. Rigathi noted that this year’s Mental Wellness theme resonates deeply with our nation’s need for healthy and productive people. She also remarked that a healthy population is productive and contributes to economic development and as such Kenyans ought to give priority to their health.

She also remarked the event as very vital to the Human Resources Practitioner's understanding of ensuring that the employees, the drivers of our economy, are in a good mental state in the day-to-day office work, by ensuring that workplaces are safe places to maintain the healthy state of mind of employees. This will ensure productivity and profitability of the overall output in the company.

“The need to raise awareness around mental health challenges, and drive actions that promote and protect mental health as a universal right, cannot be emphasized enough. Ensuring every Kenyan’s right to mental medical care is a fundamental mission. Shockingly, between 25% of outpatients and 40% of inpatients suffer from mental health disorders. Among these; depression and anxiety alone can contribute to 10%, yet most of these cases remain untreated,” remarked Mr Stephen Gitagama, Nation Media Group CEO.

Dr. Tammary Esho from AMREF International University, observed that the suicide rate among males due to mental health is 3 times higher than among females. An observation that is worrying as the male counterparts often prefer to keep issues to themselves in the name of ‘being a man.’

CHRP Ahmed Quresha Ambullahi, from IHRM, said that we all must support mental health within the workplace, recognizing that every employer should prioritize the well-being of their employees, with the WHO classifying it as a communicable disease, investing in it is thus a necessity.

Her sentiments were echoed by Prof. John Muteti from the Ministry of Health representing the CS Health, Ms Susan Nakhumicha, that it is very important to recognize that addiction is a disease and employers should prioritize offering support to employees.

Some of the organizational policies that were observed as relevant to achieving mental wellness included:

• Mental health leadership and governance – do you have mental health champions and services in your organization?
• Human resources – do you have access to professional mental health support when in need in your organization?
• Financial resources – is there a budget, and an insurance package that includes mental health in your organization?
• Substance use – do you have an employee assistance programme for those with substance use problems in your organization?
• Mental health services – do you have organizational policies providing for mental health promotion, prevention of mental ill health, early recognition and care for those with problems and long-term accommodations for those impaired by mental ill health?
• Mental health information system and research – does your organization routinely collect data on employee wellness and use it to improve the workplace environment?
• Infrastructure – are your organizational spaces, people, functions and hierarchies mental health friendly?
• Advocacy and partnerships – is your organization involved in mental health advocacy and partnerships with other organizations, including those for people with lived experience?

KEPSA was represented by Ms Zuhura Odhiambo, KEPSA Mental Wellness Champion, Ms. Sophie Wamalwa, KEPSA Human Resources Officer and Ms Stacey Mwende and Ms Mitchelle Akinyi, KEPSA Marketing and Membership team.