Health according to the WHO is defined as “A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. A study carried out by the Mental health taskforce in 2020,
found that, In Kenya, it is estimated that one in every 10 people suffer from a common mental disorder. The number increases to one in every four people among patients attending routine outpatient services.
The World Health Organization’s 2017 report on the world mental health situation ranked Kenya fifth among African countries with the highest number of depression cases. Majority of these people with mental illnesses and psychological disturbances, end up in hospitals or other health facilities. The high number of people diagnosed with mental illnesses and psychological disturbances is attributed to low levels of awareness surrounding mental health issues as well as the process and role of counseling in mental wellbeing. This has in turn led to stigma and poor intake of mental health services.
The establishment of the Outspan Hospital psychology department came about as a reaction to the above situation as well as to the hospital’s need to give their patients, health care that is holistic in nature. The department offers services to both inpatient as well as outpatient clients. The primary role of the psychology department is to offer counselling and other psychotherapeutic services geared towards empowering individuals or groups with health coping mechanisms to deal with issues which are inhibiting their ability to function in a certain aspect of their life.
The psycho-therapeutic or counseling services offered by the department of psychology are not simply to relieve the symptoms of emotional and psychological problems presented by the clients, but they are also geared towards minimizing the recurrence or at the very least manage the recurring symptoms more effectively in the future.
Services offered:
The department offers a wide range of therapeutic services to their clients, these services include;
- Chemical dependency (drug and substance abuse) counseling
- Adolescent/youth counseling
- Grief, loss and bereavement counseling
- HTS counseling
- Family and Marriage counseling
- Trauma counselling
- Stress management
- Anger management
- Psychological assessment
- Psychosocial support
- Crisis Intervention
- Outreach programs- talks to schools, corporate organizations, churches.
The psychology department is manned by highly qualified psychologists as well as counselors who are available to both our outpatient and inpatient clients.
