Kenya: Participate in COVID-19 and creative sector mental health discussion

MiM is a platform intended to harness and create collaborations between arts and culture. Through the meeting, MiM hopes that creatives will be more conscious of mental health within themselves, their families and communities as well as learn how to normalise mental health conversations and care.

The Trust for Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH), which is among the organisations conducting mental health workshops for local creatives, says that the most commonly diagnosed mental health issues for creatives are anxiety and depression.

“There are so many people suffering (inside and outside the arts), and usually alone, and this is incredibly sad and unnecessary,” TICAH says. “We see mental health struggles within the arts community because it is shared in some way – through compulsions, addiction, lifestyle choices or through work. We need to talk more about mental health to demystify what it is and what it isn’t. We need to broaden our awareness and our empathy. We need to have better policies and better service options for those that need it.”

The discussion will start at 9am CAT, and interested individuals can join the meeting here.

Watch a documentary on the state of mental health awareness in Kenya below.