This archive report was first published on 10 September 2019.
Published on September 10, 2019, a report by the World Health Organisation named suicide among the top 20 leading causes of death globally.
According to the Depression and Other Common Mental Disorders report released in 2017, an estimated 788,000 people committed suicide in 2015. The report noted that suicide accounted for close to 1.5 per cent of all deaths worldwide in 2015.
University students in Kenya have appeared particularly vulnerable to suicide, with a 2014 study published by the 'Journal of Affective Disorders' finding depression prevalence to be 35 per cent among university students.
Glory Kathure, a second-year student at Moi University, recalled a suicide case involving a friend who was repossessed due to financial issues. Kathure also cited relationship problems and cyberbullying as contributing factors to suicide.
Desmond Ogubi, a UoN master's student, said the problem stems from childhood and that institutions' safe spaces for students to speak their minds are often ineffective.
Head of Mental Health in the Ministry of Health Simon Njuguna noted that mental health strategies should focus on mental well-being rather than just mental illnesses.
Public Health specialist Bernard Olayo encouraged self-diagnosis and normalisation of mental illnesses, saying that it's okay to be sad but if someone appears too sad, it should create suspicion of a mental condition.
