Bettering the lives of the mentally ill

This Friday, October 31, mentally ill people will be on several minds as Kenya marks the World Mental Health Day. It will be a day to remember the pain and frustration that come with mental conditions.

Those who have suffered from a mental illness not only have to put up with the anguish that comes with the condition, but stigma and discrimination as well. Several people, including families of the mentally ill person seldom understand their conditions. As a result, the sufferers are often dumped in mental institutions, widely referred to as loony bins, while some are  abandoned and left to fend for themselves on the street.

The situation is further compounded by the inadequate resources that mental health institutions have to care for patients and the limited number of rehabilitation centres. Treatment for mental conditions is also often expensive and several patients are unable to afford the medicines that more often have to be taken for a lifetime.

These patients therefore get limited treatment for their conditions, and some never fully recover. It is truly a tough world for people living with mental illnesses.

It is these problems that inspired Susan Catherine Keter to form a network of support groups for people who are undergoing or have passed through psychiatric treatment. Susan, the chairperson of the Users and Survivors of Psychiatry Kenya suffered from depression in 2001 and unlike many others who have suffered from the condition, she refused to take it lying down.

Dissatisfied by the psychiatric treatment she was receiving, Susan sought to build her knowledge of the illness so as to understand her condition. She is seemingly winning the battle, as she is now helping others to overcome and deal with mental diseases.

USP Kenya was registered in December last year and is housed at the Presbyterian Church of East Africa Kangemi.

It is an NGO within the framework of the World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry and it received initial support from Basic Needs UK in Kenya and Schizophrenic Foundation.

“Basic Needs started a clinic in the Kangemi church compound in 2005 which offered psychiatric services. Last year, Basic Needs gave USP the offices and we now facilitate support groups formed by those who have suffered from mental conditions,” says Susan.

Other than exchanging critical information on how to manage mental illnesses, the members also group to run income generating activities.

“USP Kenya facilitates these groups by training them in leadership, group dynamics, financial management and business enterprises,” says Susan. “Often, people who experience mental conditions lose their jobs or sources of income. When they join such groups, they are able to uplift their economic status and can therefore continue supporting themselves and accessing medication, which can be quite expensive. ”

The support groups can be found in Kangemi, Wangige and Kikuyu. Their activities run from poultry keeping to detergent and bead making projects.

Carers of the mentally ill people are also encouraged to join. “In these groups, members share information to improve each others lives, and it is good for their family members to also be a part of the groups so that they are in a better position to care for them,” explains Susan.

To her, research and information is such an integral part in understanding mental illnesses, which is why she deemed it fit to establish a resource centre in the office.

In the centre, are stacks of newsletters, journals, periodicals and books on various mental conditions. “I encourage users of psychiatry and their families to get a hold of such information, in order to manage the condition effectively,” she says.

Several members are grateful that there is finally a place where they can go to learn from others’experiences as well as get some form of rehabilitation as they seek to be reintegrated in society.

“One thing that lacks in our mental health system is support and rehabilitation for sufferers,” says Lucy, an official of USP. “You end up in a mental institution and before you know it you are discharged and may not be ready to face society, as people will judge you as insane.

"Sometimes, you don’t even understand your condition fully. Users of psychiatry often need time out after treatment to get in touch with themselves, but we have few facilities which offer rehabilitation,” she adds.

Lack of proper rehabilitation could lead to a recurrence of a mental illness.

In the long term Susan plans to build a halfway house, modelled along the lines of a facility she visited in Kansas City, US this year.  In such a place, those who are recovering from a mental illness will be able to access rehabilitative services.

Lucy envisions more USP support groups across the country in the future, because for now the organization is crippled by lack of sufficient resources to reach many people who are affected by mental diseases.

“For instance, we don’t have adequate transport so we can’t reach people who may need our support who reside in areas far away from our base. Sometimes the support groups need to travel to visit members who are down but are unable to,” she adds.

Susan and her colleagues face an uphill task in their endeavour to provide care and support for those living with mental illnesses as well as fight stigma and discrimination. However it is a challenge they are willing to take up as the are determined to make life better for the mentally ill.

..............................

The World Mental Health day is celebrated globally on October 10 but because it is a public holiday in Kenya, the national celebrations are always held on the last Friday of October.  This year’s celebrations will take place on Friday October 31 at the Mathari Hospital, Nairobi.  The Guest of Honour will be the Minister of Medical Services Prof. Anyang’ Nyong'o. This year's theme is: 'Making mental health a global priority: Scaling up services through citizen advocacy and action.' Further information can be downloaded fromwww.wfmh.org.