Mental health: Suicide by pesticide ingestion leading cause of death in Nakuru

Mental health is an essential aspect of overall wellbeing. Yet, despite numerous awareness campaigns and efforts to reduce stigma, progress in addressing mental health issues is still slow.

When narrowed down, suicide is often seen as a tragic and final response to overwhelming mental health problems.

According to Lydia Nganga, the County Mental Health Coordinator (CMHC), this can be attributed to depression, anxiety and substance abuse.

However, it is not limited to those diagnosed with mental health disorders, and external factors such as financial strain, relationship issues, or societal expectations can also contribute to an individual's sense of despair.

"In 2024, the county lost approximately 122 people to suicide, with men leading in the numbers. Unfortunately, this is because men are more likely to follow through with their threats compared to women, who take their time. There were 20 reported cases of attempted suicides and 35 cases reported as homicides," says Lydia Nyaga of the CMHC.

Gilgil, Naivasha, Bahati and Subukia are the leading sub-counties in Nakuru with the highest prevalence of suicide deaths.

She lists several risk factors, with easy access to agrochemicals among the top five.

"Through discussions with community members, we've found that untreated mental disorders top the list of risk factors that push people to commit suicide. This is followed by relationship and social problems, socio-economic factors and a previous suicide attempt or family history of suicide," says Ms Nganga.

The most commonly reported methods of suicide are pesticide poisoning, followed by hanging and drowning.

The county has also taken proactive steps to address mental health challenges and provide support to those at risk.

"We run awareness campaigns and programmes to educate communities and our Community Health Promoters (CHPs) to recognise the signs of mental distress and encourage people to seek help. We also do this to break the stigma surrounding mental health and create a more supportive environment where people feel comfortable talking about their struggles," she says.

Through various outreach activities in the community, the county has been able to improve health services and their affordability, while trying to promote healthy coping mechanisms, such as introducing life skills training to keep people engaged and productive.

Despite the various interventions, Ms Nganga acknowledges the gaps in the response.

"A death in the community is a public health issue," she says. "Therefore, to combat this, we need a multi-sectoral approach where different stakeholders come together to solve this problem."

Ms Nganga says the government is working on a more appropriate reporting tool to address some of the problems in reporting other than community-based reporting - from which all these data were derived - and verification, as well as the use of a blanket term 'mental illness'.

Other affected sub-counties in terms of ranking are Nakuru East, Kuresoi North, Kuresoi South and Njoro tying, Molo, Rongai and last but not least Nakuru West.

For anyone who needs help, remember that you're not alone. Reach out to a trusted friend, family member or professional who can offer support and guide you through difficult times.