The impact of communication campaigns on mental health behaviour change among secondary school students in Nairobi County

Abstract

This study investigated the impact of communication campaigns on mental health behavior change among secondary school students in Nairobi County. Although communication campaigns for mental health have been going on in Kenya over the years, studies indicate that knowledge levels are still low and stigma is widespread. This study had four objectives: to evaluate the levels of knowledge of mental health among the target population, to analyze the messages communicated during communication campaigns for mental health, to assess the effectiveness of the communication campaigns conducted for mental health and to analyze the demographic factors that influence mental health behavior change. The study will benefit the public, planners of mental health communication campaigns, the government, policy makers in the Ministry of Health, psychiatrists and other health practitioners. The study used the theory of symbolic interactionism and the health belief model. The target population of this study was students from public secondary schools in Langata District in Nairobi County. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select the students who participated in the study. Langata District was purposively selected. Qualitative data was collected from psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses using interviews. These psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses were selected using the stratified random sampling technique. The psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses were selected from a public hospital which was purposively sampled. This data was analyzed thematically and presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was collected from respondents through the survey method using a questionnaire and from printed materials obtained from the public hospital. It was analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. It was then presented in tables. The study found that the levels of knowledge of mental health among public secondary school students in Langata District in Nairobi County were low, the messages communicated during communication campaigns for mental health left out important information and they were not tailored for secondary school students, and that the communication campaigns for mental health did not adhere to the principles of effective health communication. Consequently, it was concluded that knowledge of mental health among secondary school students in Nairobi County was low, the messages communicated during communication campaigns for mental health were inadequate and that the communication campaigns for mental health were ineffective. The study recommends that mental health communication campaigns focus on schools to increase levels of knowledge of mental health among young people, all important information about mental health should be included in the messages communicated during communication campaigns for mental health and that the communication campaigns follow the principles of effective health communication campaigns.