Mental Health Awareness Campaign Targets Youth in Urban Areas

In recent years, there has been a growing recognition of mental‑health challenges facing young people living in cities. According to a 2025 spatial‑modelling study of outpatient morbidity in Kenya, mental‑health disorders are unevenly distributed — with urban and more densely populated regions, including the capital, exhibiting higher prevalence. This underscores the urgency of addressing youth mental health especially in urban settings.
Across Kenya, civil‑society groups and NGOs are stepping up efforts. For example, Mental 360 — a youth‑oriented mental‑health organisation — provides peer‑based counselling, school wellness clubs and community wellness centres. Meanwhile, Promoting Mental Wellness in Communities Kenya (PMWC‑Ke) has organized outreach events in Nairobi suburbs — covering topics such as peer pressure, identity struggles, substance use and emotional awareness, aimed at young people.
In one notable public‑awareness effort, Jijenge Youth Organisation (JYO) — working with cycling clubs in Kisumu — hosted a Suicide Awareness Ride for youths aged roughly 18–35, aiming to destigmatise mental‑health issues and encourage open discussion. On a policy level, the government has recently partnered with Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital and several youth‑centered institutions to expand counselling, screening and referral services for young people — including mobile counselling units deployed during sports and arts events.
These combined efforts — from NGO outreach and community programmes to government‑backed services — reflect a growing shift: mental health is being treated as a public‑health priority, not a taboo subject. As urban populations continue to swell, especially among youth, these initiatives may help reduce stigma, improve access to support, and build healthier, more resilient communities.