Diverse policy maker perspectives on the mental health of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls in Kenya: Considerations for comprehensive, adolescent-centered policies and programs

Citations Over TimeTop 10% of 2023 papers

Abstract

The pregnancy rate in Kenya among adolescent girls is among the highest in the world. Adolescent girls experience increased risk of anxiety and depression during pregnancy and postpartum which can result in poor health outcomes for both mother and baby, and negatively influence their life course. Mental health is often given low priority in health policy planning, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). There is an urgent need to address the treatment gap and provide timely mental health promotion and preventative services, there is a need to focus on the shifting demographic of SSA-the young people. To understand perspectives on policymakers on the mental health prevention and promotion needs of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls, we carried out a series of interviews as part of UNICEF funded helping pregnant and parenting adolescents thrive project in Kenya. We interviewed 13 diverse health and social policy makers in Kenya to understand their perspectives on the mental health experiences of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls and their ideas for optimizing mental health promotion. Six principal themes emerged including the mental health situation for adolescent girls, risk factors for poor mental health and barriers to accessing services for adolescent girls, health seeking behavior effect on maternal and child health outcomes, mental health promotion, protective factors for good mental health, and policy level issues. Examination of existing policies is required to determine how they can fully and effectively be implemented to support the mental health of pregnant and parenting adolescent girls.

Related Papers

• People-Centered Strategy for Making Mental Health Services More Accessible(2020)
• Perfecting Agricultural Technology Popularization System Serving Socialist New Countryside Construction(2006)
• Events promotion procedure arrangement:based on analysis and study the case of LANVIN for H&M(2011)
• On Effects of Professional Promotion on Teachers' Research Work in Higher Institutions(2004)
• → Let Us, in the Course of Reform and Opening Up, Pay Strong Attention to the Cultivation and Promotion of Women Cadres(1993)