Govt Proposes Committee To Overhaul Mental Health In Workplaces

The Ministry of Health has recommended the formation of a mental wellness committee, among the vital steps undertaken to address the pressing issue of mental health challenges among the country's workforce.

According to the National Guidelines on Workplace Mental Wellness report obtained by Viral Tea, the committee will be appointed from within the organization responsible for implementing and evaluating the workplace mental wellness program.

This will be guided by the Kenya Mental Health Policy 2015-2030 and all existing mental health policies and laws and occupational health and safety.

Health CS, Susan Nakhumicha during an engagement with USAID on November 30, 2023. /MINISTRY OF HEALTH

The committee will include members who will represent Mental Health Professionals, Human Resource Management, Trade Union Representatives, Occupational Health and Safety and Finance and Administration

Also included will be members representing persons with lived experience, Mid-level and Senior Management and any other officers as may be deemed necessary by the appointing authority.

"Membership will have a minimum of five and a maximum of nine members. The members will serve for a term of at least three years, with the possibility of renewal for one term," the report read in part.

Should the recommendation sail through, the committee will be responsible for developing the organization’s Mental Wellness policy and program for approval by management, developing an annual work plan for management approval and planning the promotion and prevention activities.

The committee will also determine a care and referral pathway, plan training for staff and managers on mental health, substance use and psychosocial issues, identify prevention priorities, interests, and needs of staff and disseminate relevant information, education, and communication (IEC) materials

Furthermore, the members will be charged with advising management on effective approaches to support mental wellness, undertaking periodic reviews of the wellness policy and conducting regular surveys on mental health at the workplace.

"The development of a workplace mental wellness policy will need to be guided by a situational analysis that describes the baseline mental health status of the organization.

"Subsequently, an effective communication strategy must be employed to ensure staff are aware of this policy. This will be followed by the appointment of wellness champions who will interact with affected staff and the management to ensure the program is accepted and embraced," added the report.

The committee will also draft a costed work plan, and an accompanying itemized budget for approval by the leadership, a work plan that will include clear tasks to be performed, expected milestones, deliverables, budgetary requirements and the timeline.

With approval from the leadership, the committee led by the finance expert will explore the budgetary resources available from the organization. Where the internal resources are deficient, the committee will explore other sources of funds, such as applying for grants and partnering with organisations. 

A 2021 report titled Kenya Mental Health Investment Case by the Ministry of Health estimated that in 2020, mental health conditions cost the Kenyan economy Ksh62.2 billion.

These annual costs included Ksh5.5 billion in health care expenditure and Ksh56.6 billion in lost productivity due to premature mortality, absenteeism, and presenteeism.

Furthermore, the report found that mental health challenges among public servants greatly affected their performance and productivity thereby leading to poor delivery of services to members of the public.

With the modern workplace continuing to evolve, the relentless pursuit of success and productivity has unintentionally made companies overlook the mental well-being of their employees.

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