Judy’s Story

I am Judy Kariuki, a passionate mental health advocate from Kenya. My dedication to the mental health cause is rooted in my personal experiences with depression and anxiety, as well as a deep understanding of the harmful effects of stigma and discrimination on those seeking help.

Growing up in a religious family, it took me a long time to acknowledge my need for help and share my experiences as I often heard that depression was linked to sin. According to the Lancet, mental health issues are becoming increasingly significant in Africa.

Between the years 2000 and 2015, the continent's population grew by 49%. Yet, the number of years lost to disability due to mental and substance use disorders increased by 52%. In Kenya, the WHO estimates that at least one in four people seeking health care services have a mental health condition.

Although the government of Kenya has recently amended the Mental Health Act to improve the language and recognise the rights of individuals with mental health conditions, significant gaps remain, such as inadequate protection of rights, lack of a specific budget for mental health services, and a workforce that is significantly below the WHO's recommendation. Consequently, individuals with mental health concerns, continue to face stigma in their communities and that hinders their access to care. 

For the past five years, I have been at the forefront of anti-stigma efforts in Kenya, working alongside other people with lived experiences of mental health conditions to challenge stigma by sharing personal stories as this proximity to mental health has been proven to be a key factor to improving attitudes. That is among many other programs that I ran in Kenya.

I joined the Global Mental Health Action Network to learn about global initiatives and to identify strategies that we could adopt and share from this platform. I also actively participated in working groups and webinars, which provided valuable insights into enhancing our anti-stigma campaigns and other mental health efforts in the country, such as the media programmes. Further, I got a chance to share updates on the progress of our various activities through the Global Mental Health Action Network newsletter and Circle.

I make personal efforts to engage with the Global Mental Health Action Network Circle at least weekly and provide my input through the regular surveys that they share. I am very pleased to see that the efforts are bearing fruits with Circle growing and particularly with the formation of the Stigma and Discrimination Working Group. 

I am very excited about the tools and the collective actions that members will share to advance the implementation of anti-stigma initiatives worldwide. And I'm also hoping to see more concerted mental health initiatives in the African region. Thank you. 

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