Welcome to the Users and Survivors of Psychiatry in Kenya (USPKenya) website.

 

USPKenya is a membership development organization registered and working in Kenya since 2007

 

Members consist of people who have been affected by various mental health conditions ranging from mild ones such as Clinical Depression, Anxiety Disorders, to more debilitating disorders such as Bipolar Disorder (Mood Disorder / Manic-Depressive), Schizophrenia, Schizo-Affective Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) / Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Bulimia etc.

 

Those who are still under going treatment or are on a stable management program are referred to as the Users while those who have overcome their conditions and are able to manage without support are the Survivors.

 

Psychiatric disorders (Mental illnesses) are manifested by emotions, thoughts and behavior. Yet our culture, and even medical training has erroneously separated the concepts of the mind from the body as totally unrelated even though the reality is that chemical changes in the brain and genetic factors are the real culprits that can be treated by either medication or alternative therapies coupled with support from loving family and friends.

 

Mood and behavior are often considered a result of self-discipline, strength of character, and moral choice for which we bear responsibility, while physical illness is considered an unfortunate event outside one's control. The fact that the mind is controlled by and is dependent on normal brain function, is often denied or ignored (A sickness affecting the stomach, the leg or the arm is alright, but one affecting the brain, which is just another body organ, is not seen as alright.).

 

In many societies, mental illness is equated to madness. In Kiswahili, it is called Wazimu / chizi (madness) yet mental illness is a sickness like any other and has different causes. .

 

Some even equate mental illness to demonic possession (kupagawa na mapepo in kiswahili). They think that people suffering from mental illness committed some sins and are paying the price. It is not unheard of for mentally ill persons to be commanded to repent or exorcists charged with removing evil spirits from them.

 

The result is an inability to view the manifestations of psychiatric/mental disorders in the same way that medical/physiological disorders are viewed.

For example, if a person develops severe depression after a serious head injury it is understood that a tissue injury is related to the depressive behavior. If a person develops severe depression as a result of psycho-social factors, the behavior may be considered a voluntary choice on the part of the patient / Person with Mental illness (PWMI's)

 

PWMI's often feel that they have neither been understood nor been treated well. It is important to realize that mental disorders can be difficult to diagnose and when the diagnosis is made, the person may immediately be subjected to social disapproval and shame due to the stigma as earlier stated. They struggle under the weight of the stigma that is associated with mental illness in many of our societies leads many to suffer in silence with devastating results such as suicide, hospitalization, risky sexual behaviors, uncontrolled rage/anger, substance abuse, conflict with the law, imprisonment or deterioration of the physical and mental health.

 

Fear and ignorance can even affect the attitude of people who seem educated / learned or sophisticated which leads to the use of labels attributed to a defect or weakness of character. Unfortunately the stigma then leads to the "ommission" or "hidden" and "forgotten" family history of mental illness by patients and their families.

 

It is important to understand clearly that accurate patient and family history is often important if not critical for a doctor to make a diagnosis and get the illness treated early enough. Denial and hiding of facts only worsens the situation.

 

Families rarely understand mental illnesses and how to support those who are ill. Many PWMIs are shunned, made fun of, blamed and criticized for having fallen sick.


Mental illnesses are common, affecting about 20% (1 in 4) of the population at any time. Women are twice as affected as men by some mental health conditions such as depression while conditions such as schizophrenia affect both sexes in equal proportions.

 

Mental illness is still widely misunderstood and stigmatized in Kenya, with many people believing that mentally ill people are only the dirty ones collecting rubbish on the street. There are studies which have shown that one in four people attending a health facility in Kenya suffer from at least one mental disorder that co-exists with the physical illness.

 

In many cases, these disorders are neither diagnosed nor treated despite the sufferers seeking medical attention repeatedly for various symptoms. Many end up overusing the medical system with repeated treatment for typhoid, malaria, headaches, insomnia, chest problems, gastro-intestinal conditions, backache and many other symptoms that mask the mental illness.

 

The outcome of mental disorders is good when treatment is started early, so many of these conditions progress to critical stages and have poorer outcomes due to the delay in seeking treatment.

We endeavor to make psychiatric services more acceptable by enabling Users and Survivors of such conditions to be welcomed / included in society in spite of their illnesses. We also empower our members to understand about the available treatment regimes so that they do not just continue treatment infinitely without proper information about what they are being treated for, how long the treatment is likely to last, what other alternative treatments are available, and other important information. That way, they can make informed choices about the treatment they deserve.

 

USPKenya is also responsible for supporting networks of users and survivors where they meet one another and share their experiences, which serves the psychosocial needs of the persons with mental illnesses and their care givers as well serving as a forum for information exchange.

 

As opposed to intellectual and mental disabilities; which in most cases are irreversible and sufferers need permanent rehabilitation to cope with life; mental illnesses affect previously healthy people and are largely treatable. With proper treatment and management, Persons with mental illness can go on to live productive lives in spite of their illnesses.

 

We would like to enhance mental health awareness within the country and beyond by providing correct information and by empowering persons with mental disorders and their care givers to find their voice and advocate for their rights.

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