Relationship Between Parental Attitude Towards Mental Health and the Mental Health of Their Children: a Case of Komarock Estate, Nairobi County

Abstract

According to WHO (2019), 14% of worldwide problems are caused by mental health issues. It is estimated that in most countries a ratio of one to three people records a case of mental health issue. Mental health is still largely neglected in Kenya as only 0.05% of the government's healthcare expenditure is designated for it (Marylyn, 2020). Notwithstanding the impact of mental health on Kenyans, communicable diseases receive the majority of the designated health expenditure. For a long time, individuals and families have treated mental health issues as a ‘private matter’, meaning it is not limited to outsiders except perhaps medical professionals or other family members. This is so because of the stigmatization around mental health issues and the ignorance surrounding the treatment and geneses of this in our society. The Komarock Estate in Nairobi County served as the study's case study to examine the association across parental attitudes toward mental health and their children's mental health status. The study's goals included figuring out how well-versed parents were in spotting signs of mental health problems in their kids, learning how parents felt about those issues, and figuring out the connection between parents' attitudes about mental health and their kids' mental health in Komarock Estate, Nairobi County. A correlational study methodology was used to examine the relationship between parental views toward mental wellbeing and their children's mental health. Systematic sampling techniques were adopted for the best results. By use of questionnaires to sample primary data, 224 parents and 224 children were selected from the total population. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was the best tool adopted for analyzing obtained data. Through SPSS, inferential analysis (a measure of central tendency and a measure of variance) was used to examine the data. The information was displayed using graphs, cross-tabulations, and tables. The null hypothesis was evaluated by using Chi-square test. The study findings depicted a clear picture of knowledge (65.1%) and a significant association of p=0.001 and awareness (43.5%) with a significant association of p=0.0308, a gap among parents when it comes to mental health. Once it concerns their children's mental health, parents generally have a positive outlook, particularly those who are aware and eager to support their offspring. Parents who lack or have insufficient awareness of mental health have a negative attitude, which leaves a gap in the process of identifying and managing mental health problems for children. As per the associations, a significant relation exists (p=0.01318 and p=0.0451) among parents who avoid thinking about their child’s mental problems (86.7%) and are ashamed of them (91.4%). The study concludes that lack of education and awareness on mental health issues among parents contributes to the negative attitude toward mental health and this creates a barrier to access to mental health services for the children affected. While a positive attitude by parents toward mental health results in a positive impact to enhancing a child’s mental health. In order to reach parents and children with mental health information, change parents' attitudes toward 5 mental health over time, and increase the uptake of knowledge and mental health services, the study advises that the Ministry of Education and Health partner with organizations on a national and county level.