By Alvin Muruka & Christine Otieno- Community Voices Network,
Child mental health is one of the most overlooked areas in society, yet this forms the foundation of a person’s and community well-being.
Globally, one in seven Children aged 10-19 experience a mental health disorder (World Health Organization, 2025). Kenya’s suicide rate is at 11 per 100,000 people, surpassing the global average of 9.
This data calls for action and the need for concerted efforts to support children’s mental health by addressing factors related to adverse childhood experiences.
A failure to invest in the mental health of this population threatens the realization of the county’s Vision 2030 and beyond.
On September 10, the world marks World Suicide Prevention Day under the theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide” with a call to action on the need for conversations.
But for stakeholders to shift narratives around suicide, then this needs to start much earlier, in childhood. In informal settlements like Korogocho, Mathare and Kibera; the environment in which children grow may constitute social and economic context contributing to adverse childhood experiences.
These dynamics including; overcrowding, poverty, unemployment, violence, insecure housing, family instability, harmful substance use, sexual and gender-based violence and limited access to healthcare which can intersect to shape a child’s mental health outcomes.
Truth is there is limited community, family, school and programmatic support for children’s mental health. There is a difficult paradox facing many children with mental health challenges that is, authenticity versus safety. Children are often told, “Speak up. Tell someone.
Be yourself.” But what happens when telling the truth could expose them to ridicule, punishment, discrimination or exclusion? Mental illness remains surrounded by myths that a child is possessed, weak, attention-seeking, undisciplined or simply “going through a phase.” Consequently, a child may learn that silence is safer than honesty.
This paradox is evident for high school children experiencing behavioural issues and have had to be expelled and in worse case scenarios be expelled.
There is a need for intersectional programs that consider the holistic development of children instead of siloed interventions.
A young person in Korogocho experiencing depression, trauma, suicidal thoughts or sexual violence may face a terrible choice of either revealing what they are experiencing and risk judgement, or remain silent if their isn’t an adult who understand the basis of their concerns.
This is where mental health intersects with adolescent sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR). A girl experiencing sexual violence may simultaneously face trauma, pregnancy, HIV risk, stigma and school disruption. A boy may experience violence, pressure to provide, substance use or gang exposure while being socialized to believe that seeking psychological support is weakness. These are interconnected experiences requiring interconnected responses.
None of these interconnected responses starts from zero, there is a need to start from existing efforts .
Kenya has a National Suicide Prevention Strategy (2021–2026) and a Mental Health Policy (2015–2030), while in 2025 the High Court struck down the colonial-era law criminalizing attempted suicide.
Globally, the WHO Mental Health Action Plan and Sustainable Development Goals commit countries to reducing suicide deaths by a third by 2030.
The gap is follow-through, underfunding, too few specialists and strategies that live on paper more than in county budgets.
Japan offers a useful lesson. Its 2006 Basic Act for Suicide Prevention was followed by sustained municipal investment and locally tailored programmes.
Suicide deaths subsequently declined for more than a decade. Frameworks save lives when they are funded and renewed year after year, not simply signed.
What does follow-through look like in everyday life? It can be a nurse asking not only, “What is the diagnosis?” but “What do you need to feel safe?” It can be a teacher treating emotional safety as seriously as grades.
It can be trained community health workers, confidential referral pathways and integrated mental health, HIV, ASRHR and SGBV services.
Policymakers must fund the community mental health services that make these small but life-saving acts possible.
Community-led initiatives leading mental health interventions demonstrates why trusted local spaces matter. Children and adolescents are more likely to speak when the person listening understands their environment, language and realities.
We must also invest in parents and caregivers because cycles of adversity, suicide and other aspects of poor mental health outcomes are intergenerational.
Teachers, community health promoters and other stakeholders must be trained on play and art which are children’s language of expression.
Most importantly, changing the narrative is not simply about finding the perfect words for children.
It is about building communities where children are safe. Changing narratives of suicide begins with conversations, and perhaps for children is about providing safe spaces for play and creative expression.
Alvin Muruka is the Program Assistant at Community Voices Network, and Christine is the Program Manager at Community Voices Network.
