Improving Mental Health of Perinatal Women in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements

HealthRight’s Peter C. Alderman Program for Global Mental Health (PCAP) has provided mental health and psychosocial services in Eastern and Northern Uganda since 2006. Since 2018, PCAP’s programs have expanded into HealthRight’s PCAP works to reduce symptoms of depression, post-traumatic stress, and other disorders through psychological, pharmacological, and social therapies.

In 2020, HealthRight began implementing a 3-year mental health project funded by Comic aimed at Improving Mental Health of Perinatal Women in Nairobi’s Informal Settlements by reducing anxiety and depression during pregnancy and after birth, leading to mothers’ improved wellbeing and functioning. MMHP intends to collect qualitative data to evaluate the mental health of perinatal women ages 18 to 49 through focus group discussions (FGDs) and implementing an Interpersonal Group Therapy (IPT) intervention.

Key achievements include:

• Nairobi County Government–HRK MOU signed and a working partnership developed.
• 75 community health volunteers (CHVs) trained on mental health gap action program (mhGAP) community toolkits.
• Completed training of 10 IPT Trainers of Trainers—master coaches who in turn train the less experienced HCWs and CHVs. The training phase of HCWs and CHVs is currently ongoing.

Mental Health Talk with Boda Boda Riders

CHV Giving a brief to students on how to do Mental Health Talk

HRK Exit Review and End-Term Meeting at Nairobi

Mental Health Champion giving a Health Talk