Abstract:

Mental Health Distress and Associated Risk Factors among Students at the Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi Campus was investigated. 355 respondents were interviewed. Of the 335 participants, 183 (54.6%) fell within the normal range of depression while others had either mild, 143 (42.7%) or moderate, 9(2.7%) depression. Anxiety ranged from mild, 131 (39.1%, moderate, 93 (27.8%), severe, 4 (1.2%) and only 107 (31.9%) had anxiety within the normal range. No participant had stress within normal and severe ranges but participants mild stress levels constituted 333 (99.4%) followed by moderate, 2 (.6%). The risk factors included academic pressure, 95 (28.4%), depression, 77 (23.0%), peer pressure, 43 (12.8%), family problems, 32 (9.6%), financial pressure, 26 (7.8%), break ups, 25 (7.5%), 16 (4.8%) drug addiction, medical conditions, 9 (2.7%), and 7 (2.1%) were ‘others. More females 136(73.1% than males had anxiety. Peer pressure 35 (81.4%) recorded the highest predictive variable on anxiety (p<.05. Gender was significantly associated with anxiety (p>.05) with further logistic regression indicating an adjusted odds ratio in the Exp(B) above 1.0 and confidence interval above 1.0, confirming that being female increases the odds of the outcome anxiety. The risk factors including academic, financial, family problems, depression, drug abuse, break ups, porn addiction, medical conditions and others increase the odds of anxiety among the participants. Tertiary level tailored measures therefore need to be put in place to help medical students at Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi Campus to manage their mental health distresses which will help in improving health care delivery in Kenya.

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