Seek help for mental health, Men urged

Kiambu, Friday, June 30, 2023

KNA by Terry Njueini

Men are more weighed down by mental health issues compared to women, yet many of them remain hesitant to seek help compared to the latter.

These issues are in turn projected to those around the affected men including spouses and children, leading to other problems such as marital conflicts and child neglect.

Mary Mbuthia, a counselling psychologist in Kiambu Town Sub-County has said, “Men are very hesitant to seek help and even those who come for it are very withdrawn and even reluctant to speak about problems bedeviling them. 

Mbuthia added that many cases touching on men neglecting their responsibilities were as a result of a mental disconnect between how they think and how they are supposed to behave.

“Behaviour stems from what one is thinking and if one is not coherent in their thinking so will be their actions,” she said.

The psychologist further attributed this to a number of reasons such as men having been socialized by the society to be tough and become problem solvers, which in effect prevents them from seeking help.

Stigmatization for men who seek help, she also said, is also another challenge as it discourages those that are already seeking help or are on the verge of seeking help.

“The society deems men as problem solvers who are not expected to be having problems themselves, let alone speaking about them. Men who speak about their problems are stigmatized in society and these are the two reasons that make men cower from accepting to be vulnerable and seek help,” noted Mbuthia.

The biggest challenge especially for the mental health of men is that most of them are not aware of it, while others don’t even have any knowledge of the same. 

On his part, George Mwaura, a businessman in Kiambu Town says he was not aware that there is a month set aside to sensitize people on mental health, especially men.

He says that speaking about himself is a sign of weakness and as a man, he is supposed to be able to deal with anything that comes his way.

“I have been through depression before and opted to find other coping mechanisms rather than talking about it. For me, I perceive talking about my problems to someone as a sign of weakness. I prefer to deal with mental issues through activities such as working out, listening to music or hanging out with my friends. I have applied these mechanisms and they have worked for me,” said Mwaura.

Boaz Kemboi, an ICT technician in Kiambu Town told KNA that he thinks that men over time, have not been prioritizing their mental health, though some have devised methods to deal with mental health challenges in various ways.

He also admits that not many men are open to sharing their problems with others, for fear of how they will be perceived.

However, Mbuthia feels that there should be more sensitization talks among institutions, organizations and also at the community level on mental health issues so as address any stigma associated with the condition.

The psychologist equally called on men to emancipate themselves from the societal beliefs that hold them back when they need help.

“There should be more sensitization among men so that they can know that it is okay to seek help and also institutions and organizations need to be made more friendly to men such that they can feel free to approach them to seek help without feeling judged,” she said.

The government set up a Board of Mental Health that was established by the Mental Health (Amendment) Act 2022, which is mandated to advise both National and County Governments on appropriate strategies and programmes on mental health among other functions.

The mental health instability is translated to incoherent behaviour and more often than not close family members, especially wives and children bear the brunt.

Men's Mental Health Month, observed throughout the month of June serves to shed light on the mental health struggles faced by men, dismantle deeply-ingrained societal stigmas and encourage open conversations about men's mental well-being as well.

Courtesy ; K. N. A