Relationship between Mental Health Literacy and Mental Well-being among Students in Secondary Schools in Homa Bay County, Kenya

Monica Anne Achieng Oyoo, John Odwar Agak & Quinter Migunde
Department of Educational Psychology, Maseno University, Kenya.
Email: linioyoo@gmail.com

Abstract: Reports by World Health Organization indicate that 25% of Kenyans suffer from mental health problems. The most common of these are depression and anxiety with preval9-2ence rates of 28.1% and 38% respectively among students in secondary schools nationally. In Kakamega County, Kisii County and Migori County prevalence rates of depression among students are 44.8%, 23% and 23.6% respectively. In Homa Bay County, the prevalence of depression and anxiety among students is 57.5% and 49.4% respectively. Evidently, the prevalence in Homa Bay County is worrying yet no study has been conducted to address mental health problems among students in secondary schools in Homa Bay County. Studies indicate that mental health literacy (MHL) can help alleviate mental health problems. It is for this reason that this study was conducted with a purpose to assess the nature of relationship between MHL and mental well-being among students in secondary schools in Homa Bay County. The study population was 131,749 students from form1 to form 4. Stratified random and purposive sampling were used to select 400 respondents using Yamane’s formula. Data was collected using questionnaires and focus group discussions (FGDs). A pilot study was conducted among 30 students based on the rule of thumb recommending it as a popular number for piloting. The findings showed that levels of MHL positively correlated with mental well-being r(382) = .822, p = .00. It was concluded that MHL positively correlated with mental well-being. Based on the findings, it was recommended that schools teach MHL to improve mental well-being among students.